Over the holidays, I like to read as many books as possible…who doesn’t? This time around, I finished reading Marilyn Manson’s autobiography (he’s a pure genius and if you don’t like him you don’t understand him), Rubbish! by William Rathje (classic) and World’s Best Compost by Rod Turner.
Simply put, Rod Turner is a trip. I’m near certain most people think he’s a snake oil selling schemester. I don’t think that’s a word. Anyway, his book really got me thinking outside the box when it comes to the norms of composting. Honestly, this book kind of shook me up. My life wasn’t turned upside down, but his demonstration of how to make colloidal humus as opposed to compost just seems like the way to go from here on out.
But here’s the challenge (for me): You need a pretty large space…well, large to me. But I’m a city dweller, and I don’t have space to create a 5’x3’x5′ (minimum!) mountain of manure and straw. I really wish I did…and I’m seriously considering altering my backyard so I can give this a try. The end product of his detailed experiment gives you a turd that looks like this:
Mmmmm…I find this turd to look quite chocolatey and appetizing, although it’s the result of a large amount of manure and straw. Maybe I’m a closet coprophage (I’m not). Anyway. My favorite part about this book is how Rod hates on composting. He elaborates on how the average compost pile ends up being classified as mulch (he’s right) and how it’s not all that wonderful (not really right, just not as good as colloidal humus). Further, this amazing end product can be had without the pile ever reaching thermophilic temperatures like “normal” composting processes rave on about.
I think this is going to be my spring project: find some fresh horse or cow manure (some meaning several hundred pounds), then finding straw, then building this monstrosity in my backyard and then finally trying not to laugh. It’s not hard not to believe this will work, I think it’s quite awesome looking. Farmers and people with big backyards: have you tried this?
Some Googlin’ around hasn’t yielded much other than skeptics of Rod’s technique. While I’m going to side with the skeptics, I’m still going to give Rod’s method a try this spring…if I can find large quantities of manure, straw and space.
This book is definitely for those of you that are way into gardening and have access to open space and manure. Further, I’d say it’s for those of you that don’t think of composting as being “green” as much as something you do and that’s that. I’d be hard-pressed to think of anyone that couldn’t learn a lot of new cool things by reading this book…as much as he is anti-composting, he indirectly gives plenty of tips on improving your current efforts.
He has plenty of bonuses to offer with this too, although I wasn’t interested in any of them: Free books on pruning, azaleas, secrets of cultivation…all kinds of stuff. Useless bonuses aside (to me, anyway), this was easily my favorite e-book I’ve read via Clickbank thus far. I tend to think Clickbank has a lot of crap…not remotely the quality of manure, and definitely nowhere near colloidal humus, which is my grade for this book. Frickin A.
Learn more about building your own gracious garden-gift-giving turd mountain by clicking here.