Making the compost preparations

Making the compost preparations The preparations use

dried flowers and herbs enclosed in animal organs as sheaths.

Can be a community event where the cultural and human aspect of the farm is celebrated.

Yarrow (502) In the spring deer

bladders are filled with yarrow flowers.

Filled bladders are hung in a sunny and sheltered spot.

Yarrow (502) Bladders are

buried over winter and dug up in spring

Chamomile (503) In autumn, cow

intestines are filled with dried and re-moistened chamomile flowers

Filled intestines are buried over winter and dug up in spring.

Nettle (504) In summer, just as they

begin to flower, nettles are cut down, left to wilt for a day.

They are buried for one year.

The spot where they are buried is well marked.

Dug up after a year and stored.

Oak Bark (505) In autumn oak bark

is shaved A skull of a

domesticated animal is filled with oak bark

Oak Bark (505) Skulls are buried

in a place where water will flow over them.

Skulls are dug up and emptied in spring

Dandelion (506) In autumn a cow

mesentery is filled with dried and re-hydrated dandelion flowers. The mesentery and flowers are sewn in to a small parcel

Dandelion (506) The mesentery

parcels are buried over winter and dug up in spring

Valerian (507) Juice or essence is extracted

from the flowers of the Valerian plant. This is done either by crushing the flowers or steeping them in water in the sun.

The juice is kept in bottles until needed.

Storage The preparations are stored in glass or terracotta jars

in a box lined with peat.

Using the preparations Make a hole with a

stick in the heap. Put a pinch of a

preparation in a small ball of compost or soil.

Drop the ball into the hole.

Cover A few drops of

Valerian are diluted for 10 minutes in water and sprayed on the heap.