Re: Berkley compost (aerobic)

03-02-2000, 03:45 AM

> Do you know anything about the Berkely Method? From what I have read it is
> the fastest method of composting.

Found it

Compost made of

60-75% dry plant matter
25-40% animal manure-fresh cow or horse manure

Put down a layer of straw and cover with manure then water well. Layer
should be about 300mm or 1ft deep. Repeat two more times not forgetting to
water each time. The mimimum size is one cubic metre to generate enough
heat. Turn every three days.

Your servant, Gokula das.

03-02-2000, 10:53 AM

In a message dated 3/2/00 1:52:29 AM US Mountain Standard Time,
Gokula.das (AT) pamho (DOT) net writes:

>
> Compost made of
>
> 60-75% dry plant matter
> 25-40% animal manure-fresh cow or horse manure
>
> Put down a layer of straw and cover with manure then water well. Layer
> should be about 300 mm or aft deep. Repeat two more times not forgetting to
> water each time. The minimum size is one cubic metro to generate enough
> heat. Turn every three days.
>
> Your servant, Gurukula DAs.
I will give your Berkley compost a try! How long is it supposed to take?
The shortest time from raw material to compost is 14 days that I have ever
heard of. How long is this supposed to take?
Carol

03-02-2000, 05:44 PM

On the entry 'Berkley Compost' I see there is a conference named Sewage and
Water Treatment.

Who is running this conference?

Meanwhile I will try to down load last 10 entries.

03-02-2000, 05:44 PM

>Compost made of

>60-75% dry plant matter
>25-40% animal manure-fresh cow or horse manure

This is very similar to Indore compost 70% carbon to 30% dry plant matter
with 25% animal or human manure.

I have, however, used as little as one eighth dung in a compost, therefore
increasing the potential of your available manure eight times, but this may
vary the NPK out put. However the results were first class.

Recepie for 8:1 Indore compost

4" dried weeds and roots
1/2" leaves
2" nettles (or waste Prasad)
1" lawn mowings
4" Veg waste
1/2" leaves
2" soiled animal bedding, mixed evenly
2" nettles again

repeat until four feet high if built within 6 days
or 3 feet high over a longer period. If you get loads of white mycellium
fungus within the first 10 days of starting the heap the remainder should
present no difficulties.

This will give a balanced compost of approx 10:1 carbon to nitrogen, trace
element content and if you add wood ashes calcium and potash.

We have, at Bhaktivedanta Manor, been composting very much larger quantities
of waste Prasad. It does work but if you are not careful in layering it
properly the temperature will not be sufficient and the smell indicator
will occur. We have sent samples for NPK values.

03-03-2000, 03:18 AM

I understand from what I have read that the Berkeley Method involves turning
the heap more frequently (than Indore), thus keeping the temperature higher
and composting faster. (i.e. 2 weeks) This means more work but faster
results. I have heard there is also value in letting the compost mature
after the thermophyllic stage is over. Any comments?

We have an ashram of 5 big eating brahmacaris and we want to start
experimenting with the humanure idea.

Should we empty the humanure (and kitchen scraps) into the heap everyday, or
keep it until there are enough ingredients for a full size heap and layer it
with the other ingredients? In other words do you have to add the humanure
at the beginning of a heap, or can you add it while the process is going on?
If storage is required how should that be done? Just covering in earth?

03-03-2000, 05:47 AM

> Results. I have heard there is also value in letting the compost mature
> after the thermophyllic stage is over. Any comments?
>
> We have an ashram of 5 big eating brahmacaris and we want to start
> experimenting with the humanure idea.
>
> Should we empty the humanure (and kitchen scraps) into the heap everyday, or
> keep it until there are enough ingredients for a full size heap and layer it
> with the other ingredients? In other words do you have to add the humanure
> at the beginning of a heap, or can you add it while the process is going on?
> If storage is required how should that be done? Just covering in

Hirable to all Humanure practitioners
When I used the Humanure method I and several friends used a single five
gallon bucket ( 20 liters) . The method of use is as follows. Do your thing
in the bucket. Cover the deposit with saw dust. I didn't have any saw dust
so I ran over a bunch of leaves with weed eater in a large trash can to
contain the results. The shredded leaves and grass worked just fine. I kept
a paint can full of them next to the potty. Use toilet paper if you normally
do. when the bucket gets full take it out and dump on the ground where you
plan to have a compost pile. Wash out your bucket over the compost pile.
Cover the fresh deposit with leaves straw or sawdust. Then dust the bucket
with dried grass or sawdust and take it back to your porta potty area or
where ever you do your thing. Kitchen scraps leaf trimmings etc. can also be
added. You don't have to turn it. Just cover it to keep it odorless at the
end of the year even with five people 'doing their thing" the compost pile
will never get more than about four feet tall. At the end of that year.
Start a new compost pile next to the first. By the second years end the
first pile is cooked and has rich clean smelling essentially sterile compost.
Safe for your garden. You do not have to segregate the liquids and solids.
We figured that each person was depositing 22 oz per day. I found my old
notes on that summer it was pretty funny. The patch I put the compost on
seemed to do a little better than the rest of the garden. But in all
fairness I probably just spent more time checking out the plants that had the
humanure and babied the plants more.
Remember ....... It doesn't matter what you are composting. The
temperature is the key. Get it hot enough 130oF for three days to kill the
bacteria but the temp is usually form 120 to 170o F. Human poop seems to not
be as hot so I always added scraps from my garden and kitchen scraps. It
worked I have never been a big fan of hard work if avoidable so I prefer to
let the Humanure pile "cook " by its self. I did note in my notes that there
seemed to be hundreds more of earth worms and their eggs than I have ever
seen around a compost pile. I might add that in my day I have seen a compost
pile or two. And, I have never seen such a huge collection of earth worms
before or after around a compost pile.
Carol

03-08-2000, 04:11 PM

> Results. I have heard there is also value in letting the compost mature
> after the thermophyllic stage is over. Any comments?
>
> We have an ashram of 5 big eating brahmacaris and we want to start
> experimenting with the humanure idea.
>
> Should we empty the humanure (and kitchen scraps) into the heap everyday,
or
> keep it until there are enough ingredients for a full size heap and layer
it
> with the other ingredients? In other words do you have to add the
humanure
> at the beginning of a heap, or can you add it while the process is going
on?
> If storage is required how should that be done? Just covering in

This subject matter has all been previously discussed on this conference.

According to the Indore system . You will acquire atmospheric nitrogen if
the heap is built flat and even up to 90 days.(after the second or third
turn) After that you will lose it if it is left there. It should be spread
on the land thus banking the nitrogen which will be released at next rains.

ISKCON does not as far as I know use toilet paper ,we use water therefore
the Satvik Indore Toilet has been specifically designed. YOU MUST separate
the liquid to ensure a fast efficient compost and the correct moisture
balance. There are many other advantages.... This system is much cleaner
and pleasant to operate. Remember when you have a festival or other event
you may get far more liquid or urine than you expect therefore this system
allows for all eventualities. And you see and smell nothing.

Yes you can empty daily kitchen waste and weekly the S.I.T. when the heap is
3-4 feet high simply move along in a row fashion.

03-08-2000, 05:21 PM

"Radha Krsna (das) ACBSP GB (Great Britain)" wrote:

>
>
> ISKCON does not as far as I know use toilet paper ,we use water therefore
> the Satvik Indore Toilet has been specifically designed. YOU MUST separate
> the liquid to ensure a fast efficient compost and the correct moisture
> balance. There are many other advantages.... This system is much cleaner
> and pleasant to operate. Remember when you have a festival or other event
> you may get far more liquid or urine than you expect therefore this system
> allows for all eventualities. And you see and smell nothing.

We always used to put toilet paper in the facilities for Sunday feasts or any
other large festivals. The public is not generally expected to follow the
standards of brahmacaris living in the temple. Don't other temples do this?

It seems that the essence of our religion is that we chant Hare Krsna -- not
whether we use toilet paper or not. Best not to discourage newcomers with such
strict standards. We're doing well if we can just convince them not to eat
meat.

ys
hkdd

03-15-2000, 06:55 PM

>We always used to put toilet paper in the facilities for Sunday feasts or
>any
>other large festivals. The public is not generally expected to follow the
>standards of brahmacaris living in the temple. Don't other temples do
>this?

Of coarse you can do this. TOILET PAPER IS BIO-DEGRADABLE. The Satvik system
takes it all into account. I'm just trying to show how it works - the best
way for all eventualities with guests brahmarcaris etc etc etc. and the best
and fastest results are obtained by separating liquids and solids.

I maybe off air for a while as our service here is no longer sponsored by
the English version of BBT. Other funds are currently not available.

03-16-2000, 09:51 PM

>
> I maybe off air for a while as our service here is no longer sponsored by
> the English version of BBT. Other funds are currently not available.

This is bad news! We need your expert advice. What happened?

Do you have another email address?

Are you selling your sattvick toilet at third world prices for us African
Continent types?

Please give us a contact address before you dissapear!

PS. You mentioned about sending money for a video on your product. How much?

Your Servant
Samba das

05-27-2000, 07:20 PM

>Are you selling your sattvick toilet at third world prices for us African
>Continent types?

>Please give us a contact address before you dissapear!

>PS. You mentioned about sending money for a video on your product. How
much?

>Your Servant
>Samba das

Please see previous text. I have a patent agent who is also dealing with the
international sales of this product under licence. I will ask him to look
into possibilities in your area.

Your servant,
Radha Krsna das.