The Healthy Human Nutrient Cycle

I recently visited my nephew, Finn Michael, and got the opportunity to read him the children's book "Everybody Poops." I thought it was powerful, insightful, and it clearly articulates a profound universal truth--everybody poops!

At Hawthorn Farm, we put our poop to a proper purpose by recycling it into compost for our gardens. In doing so, we provide free nutrition to our plants, plus, we reduce our impact on the water treatment plant, and reduce the potential of polluting our beloved waterways and ocean.

How does it work on the farm? In brief, it's business as usual until the end, when, instead of flushing, we add a scoop of sawdust. We wait six months to one year, and with the help of thermophilic bacteria, air, and water, our waste transforms into nutritious compost. It's magic! We use this compost to fertilize our fruit and nut trees, berries, shrubs, and even certain vegetables.

If you want to learn more about "humanure composting," check out "The Humanure Handbook" by Joseph Jenkins, or just ask us how we do it.

If you aren't ready to replace your toilet with a bucket, we understand. There's good news -- King County offers industrial scale humanure composting! Yes, the King County water treatment plant graciously separates the solids from the liquids and composts them. The finished product is a nutritious fertilizer they call Loop.

At Hawthorn Farm, I estimate that in one year, we produce enough humanure compost to add a four inch layer to all of our fruit trees. In comparison, King County produces enough Loop to fill a football stadium 70-feet high. That's a lot of...

In conclusion, here is a list of things I hope you take away from this blog post that I hope doesn't smell:

- Human waste (poop and pee) is a valuable nutrient.

- In nature, there is no such thing as waste. Healthy humans need to listen and apply the wisdom of nature in order to co-create the bright, abundant, and beautiful world that we know is possible.

- Everybody poops.