Local Fruits and Veggies

[Drazzminius]

I was in the gym this past weekend and someone was being very critical about the Okinawan Veggies saying they (the Okinawan Farmers) use human waste. I can't believe that to be true, but didn't know where else to ask.

Any responses are appreciated!

:scratchchin:

[okisteve]

I don't know this for sure, but I would doubt it. At least it would be against public health regulations. Probably someone else will contradict this.

On the other hand (or foot) it would not surprise me if a goodly amount of pigshit ended up as fertilizer.

[socalheart]

Based on the smell around here, the farmers next door and across the street seem to use cow poop. :barf:

[Asshat]

What would be wrong with using human waste as fertilizer?

[DocTurtle]

Nightsoil?? No thank you.

[okisteve]

What would be wrong with using human waste as fertilizer?

Not only does shit happen, but it also can contain nasty infectious microbes. They don't get into the vegetable itself (except for lettuce AFAIK) but it's hard to disinfect them properly. I guess human waste can be made safe for fertilizer by composting, but I doubt it's allowed in Japan.

Animal dung is OK (but is generally composted) because most animal diseases aren't easily transmitted to humans that way.

Most likely the story got around because it probably was prevalent after the war until public health measures became widely used. (like a lot of other infectious diseases:crying:)

[OCanadaOurHomeAndNativeLand]

It was also common/standard in the Edo period, and AFAIK records still exist regarding contracts to exchange night soil for food during that time. I've read that it was commonly used as fertilizer up until about 1955 or so.

[okisteve]

I was in the gym this past weekend and someone was being very critical about the Okinawan Veggies saying they (the Okinawan Farmers) use human waste. I can't believe that to be true, but didn't know where else to ask.

Any responses are appreciated!

:scratchchin:


Kinda makes me wonder why people think this is a backward place. Maybe they never get off the base.

[Sex Wax]

I pee in the yard when I'm drunk....the grass seems to be doing fine, but I dont eat it very often.

:thumbup1:

[dk]

I pee in the yard when I'm drunk....the grass seems to be doing fine, but I dont eat it very often.

:thumbup1:
Me too!!! Well, not my yard. Possibly yours! :thumbup:

[Sex Wax]

Me too!!! Well, not my yard. Possibly yours! :thumbup:

Just dont pee in the flowers please.

[Drazzminius]

What would be wrong with using human waste as fertilizer?
Just like was stated before, human waste carries bacterias and stuff that can be deadly to humans if consumed. I ate a salad at the Sheraton Hotel in Damascus, Syria back in 1993 and w/in 24 hrs, I was hospitalized for food poisoning (no one told me to stay away from veggies in the Middle East). We later found out that I had contracted Tropical Sprue (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_sprue) and almost died from it. I was under treatment for almost 2 full years to recover and it ended up leaving me with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (no super greasy foods for me).

Animal waste = :thumbup1:
Human waste =:dead:

Thanks for the replies. I figured the person I was talking to was full of what they were discussing.. :grin1:

[okisteve]

Drazz, interesting.... You had bad luck.... I lived in Damascus for 2 years, ate everything everywhere and never had the slightest problem. However, I am not doubting you, because I also lived in Kabul for over 2 years (a far less healthy place than Damascus) and only got sick after eating lunch one weekend at the Intercontinental Hotel. I think it has more to do with the hotel workers rather than the food constituents.

[wenjam]

I know that there are parts of Korea that use nightsoil.

[okisteve]

I know that there are parts of Korea that use nightsoil.

And very few parts of China that don't!

[P_chan]

Come on guys stop lying! You know there is some drunk ojisan in the back of the fruit and veggie stand pissing on all the product.

[gibbonboy]

There's always The Humanure Handbook (http://weblife.org/humanure/default.html) if you want to do it safely, i.e. by yourself, without any "contributions" from the neighbors. It CAN be done safely, but as it's a "cold" composting, you need to give it the proper time.

I love it when people pretend that they don't know that everybody poops, and it's gotta end up somewhere. Then again, most people can also ignore the number of pus cells in a gallon of milk at the store....:ohmy: