This is a summary of what we can offer.
What we can offer in the Sub Tropical and Tropical Zones.
The Howard-Higgins Horticultural System HH-2, incorporating HH-3 EcoSan
(formulated with over twenty years research and developments with the internationally acclaimed group – SuSanA)
Unbeknown to all industrial compost makers and 99% of all farmers that I have found travelling the world is the science of Sir Albert who researched the science from the ancient Chinese and subsequently spread all over the world in the early part of the last century. The Chinese employed the system for thousands of years and were able to produce healthy and disease free crops and animals without the use of a fallow period in their farming cycle. They recycled all their human fecal matter and other obnoxious wastes in their agricultural system as a matter of course.
Today this has been condensed into the Howard-Higgins Horticultural system and it enables the manufacture of fresh humus with the HH-2 SuperFast composter units. These pass all the modern day regulations on control of vermin (the greatest vectors of disease, WHO) The DRY toilet system, HH-3, collects the fecal matter through an ordinary looking toilet; that works slightly differently in that inside the toilet unit is a biodegradable liner which very cleverly filters excess liquid into a collection system for recycling and contains the fecal matter which is covered with the mocr-organically active end product (HH-4) so that when the liner is removed there is no need to flush the unit with water. There is also no smell or unsightliness at any stage of the system.
The end product, HH-4, is complete in its maturity in 90 days and at this stage is an optimum organic fertiliser. This material is so micro-organically active that it transforms any soil type it comes into contact with without the need for soil analysis. (APPG debate).
While the waterless toilet system is primarily aimed at rural villages and communities even peri-urban areas can effect the use of this system, as long as they can have access to collected biomass with which to operate it. In the United Kingdom Higgins used the system in the garden of this groundfloor flat, growing vegetables, in a London suburb for 10 years, Nobody was aware of what the HH-2 equipment was additionally being used for beside the recycling of kitchen and garden waste! The attractive racing green units (heat absorbing) are manufactured in the UK, are flat pack with replaceable parts are extremely durable and will last 25 years. They are rat proof and fly proof and have no moving parts; and thus are a milestone in their contribution to local hygienic recycling of wastes in the modern world. All the equipment HH-2 and HH-3 units are also specifically designed with female operators in mind and no part of the operating process is too large or too heavy for convenient operation. Thus with good enthusiastic training as is always given by the designer and producer of the equipment; sanitary and efficient recycling of valuable wastes are effected.
Sustainable Sanitation in Africa
The remediation of human effluent is effected simply by adding the material collected in bio liners contained in units in the HH-3 DRY toilet system from the surrounding neighbourhood. A collection system is organised with replacement HH-3 units that are placed in the toilet receptacle at the time of collection. The capacity of the One cubic metre units can effectively sanitise up to 28 houses weekly and continuously when the management team is in place. The system is income generating and self-sustaining. http://www.suaglon.co.uk/category/location/
Pit Latrines and UDDT’s
The HH-2 and HH-3 equipment will replace the need for the digging of pit latrines and can convert the inner working of UDDT toilets anywhere. Contamination of ground-water from badly managed sewage systems is the greatest cause of disease on earth (WHO)
Comment made by retired minister (on my left) of Water and the Environment, Kampala city: “If this system works in one village it will spread like bush fire.”
Labour Saving
The HH-2 Horticultural System will free much child labour on farms and allotments due to the capacity for the system to surpress weeds. This will mean children can go to school rather than to work at a young age. Massive man hour, machinery and chemical/biological solutions for pest and disease management will also be effected.
Cows
The operating process is a simple one based on the inoculation of the generated fungi and bacteria that are manifest within the system. Cow dung waste is an integral part of the system as it has purifying and antiseptic qualities (Calcutta University). Richard’s work in India found that by looking after cows well, increased the food supply, health and longevity of the population.
Fertility Increase
From the original works of Howard: The disease and pest resistance of animals farmed along these lines will greatly increase as their fodder will become rich in nutrients and will help them resist disease. Utilising cow dung in this way
increases the volume 10 times and its efficiency 4 times. – a recipe to feed the world –
Obnoxious Wastes
Thus all manner of obnoxious wastes can be recycled through the HH-2 system, including food processing wastes.
Biochar
Richard has also developed a low cost biochar burner that converts for instance banana peels into charcoal.
He has also developed a family sized rocket stove that is fuelled with fried cow dung and fallen twigs and leaves thus eliminating the need for tree cutting. Note: in the Howard title that Richard has re-released The Lost Science of Organic Cultivation Howard states that if one quarter of all the cow dung in India should be used for compost making and three fourths as fuel for cooking,
End Product
The HH-4 is a highly saleable and demandable end product that is fully stabilised holding a balanced Carbon to Nitrogen ratio of 10:1.
This was the goal of Howard’s research from the Chinese and is also the Carbon to Nitrogen ratio found in the forest floor.
The practise of vermicomposting is side-stepped by this system as worms are bred in the ground, for fertility making all the year round, even in the temperate zones of the world,
Training
A full training programme in the UK has been devised by Richard and he teaches it regularly throughout the spring and summer months in the UK. Each set of Hot Boxes comes with a full operator’s manual, which we are translating into appropriate languages.
Howard achieved all this all over 100 years ago and it has been the work of Higgins to re-introduce this to modern society.
Pathogen Control
Pathogens are killed by a rapid and reliable heat gradient achieved in the first 14 days. We test for pathogens at 30 days.
None have ever been found.
Crop Production
In all areas crops are found to be increased up to 300% and the disease and pest resistance of all crop types is second to none. Higgins brought in the No Dig/zero till method into Howard’s work and the low till system for larger scale agricultural holdings from the Charity The Good Gardeners Association (1968) who have been proving the increased nutrient values on crops grown without digging. Richard was a trustee here for many years and has now taken over the charity as the Chief Executive and has renamed it the Good Gardeners International. Richard has been selling fruit and veg from his demonstration farm for many years to people who require direct crops that are nutrient rich for health giving purposes.
The crops below were grown on heavy London clay, that had not been dug or ploughed for 35 years.
pathogen/disease free, fertiliser, crops, animals and man.