Joe Jenkins and the Humanure Handbook

Thanks everyone for having me here! Yes, the 4th edition of the Humanure Handbook came out last May. It's half sequel and half expanded update. I haven't figured out how to respond to anyone on this forum yet, so I'm posting a new message instead.

Welcome! Down at the bottom of each thread there's a reply button.

You can also hit the quote button on a post, and it'll take you to a place to reply.

Here's a tutorial on how to post: https://permies.com/wiki/25790/post-permies


(Things do look a bit different on mobile view, but I can get up a tutorial for that if you need it).

We're glad to have you here!

Fred Tyler wrote:Welcome! Down at the bottom of each thread there's a reply button.

Thanks so much Fred! I also didn't know, but had figured out the quote way to respond. I have been a fan of the Humanure Handbook & also requested the Slateroof Bible for my Birthday 😁😁Both excellent books! I have used the basic bucket method for many years happily, & I'm quite the girly girl with an excellent nose & never had any issues with  any smell while doing so. Thank you Joe for your inspiring work & Welcome!

Welcome Joe, your book looks very interesting. This is my first posting. I’d be interested to know whether you need to incorporate/encourage specific organisms/groups of organisms in order get successful composts. I guess it is an anaerobic process? Could an aerobic composting process be used? Lots of questions! I’ll have to read your book. Cheers

The Humanure Handbook 4th edition can be read free here: http://humanurehandbook.com/contents.html (chapter by chapter). The process is aerobic and microorganism strains do not need to be added.

If I hot-composted the humanure pile a second time, would I be able to use it sooner?

Thank you again, Joe, for finally coming to permies! I have been following permies for 2 years or more now as an observer (not a "lurcher") & have just recently posted a few times. I've often wondered why the Humanure concept had eluded this group for so long. I'm impressed with their "Willow feeder" but wondered why it was not used as the valuable resource it truly is. (Possibly I don't know enough about their Willow feeder, must check further!) Also who wants to have to go to the next building to do their business, especially on a cold winter's night! I am so pleased that your book came into my hands so many years ago to enlighten me to this concept. I had used the simple bucket method for 6 years while off grid in a log cabin & the composting outhouse for 6 years on another site previously, with an off grid cabin. Both worked very well. Currently I'm looking into the "earthship" concept of using a regular fush toilet that goes to a botanical cell that thru 10 years of research they have found can grow all forms of food safely except root vegetables! I think that to spread the use of this valuable resource we need to meet people closer to where they are, so it is not such a stretch to make the change.
   I aslo very much enjoy your Slate Roof Bible, & wondered how it might be incorporated to the wofati design to eliminate the rubber membrane? So many new & wonderful ideas here at permies! Thanks to you all!  Keep up the great work 😁

Also, Joe, I so appreciate this method compared to any others because of the simplicity, instant portable toilet absolutely anywhere! Beautiful! I always refer to it as "my compost toilet". Not composting, as I know it doesn't compost in the toilet, but compost toilet, to convey that in the end it is compost. Again, thanks so much for bringing this concept to the modern world, so very important! Blessings to you!

After some searching on the Willow feeder, I understand better. Nice job on the design & so useful for fluctuating number of people using it. I do prefer the basic Humanure bucket method so I can stay in my warm cabin, but can see it usefulness in a larger community situation. Thanks permies for such a wide range of information on so many topics.

I just realized that there is a composting toilet on this guy's floating island:



I remember seeing news about him years ago, but I overlooked this detail.

Hey all, I won a copy of this book and just got it in the mail yesterday.  I'm excited to read it.  As a high school science teacher, you better believe that a book with a provocative title/content is going to end up in my classroom, but first I am going to read it.  
In full disclosure, I don't think that I will join the humanure club, but I am hoping to get ideas, perhaps start with manure from my wife's team of huskies.  Right now I dump it down woodchuck holes (fills holes, hopefully acts as woodchuck deterrent)  but I'd love to compost it and make it safe to use on plants... the pathogen possibility bothers me, but I think that this book may answer some of my concerns.  
I get those "daily-ish" emails from the forum, and that is how I found out about the contest. Never thought I'd win something.