Can human urine replace chemical fertilisers?

Rich Earth hopes to double that amount this year to a round 6,000 gallons - enough to fill a third of an average American swimming pool.
"We've given volunteers a few things to make it easier - some funnel devices and things like that," says Kim.

The urine collection scheme has had some unintended consequences for Kim's home in Brattleboro, which hosts the so-called "urine depot." There is a buzz of conversation as volunteers drop off 5-gallon jugs to be loaded into larger holding tanks. "When people realise that they produce something every day that can be helpful to the environment and the earth, it's a very wonderful feeling," says Kim.

Rich Earth acknowledges that the biggest hurdle to their work is public perception of lingering buckets of pee, or the so-called "ick factor." Urine is actually sterile when it exits the body, save for rare cases of a bladder infection or salmonella poising. Rich Earth has, nevertheless, developed two strategies for eliminating the risk of pathogens, either by solar pasteurisation or long-term storage in a warm greenhouse. Both have proven effective.
A real concern for Rich Earth is left over pharmaceuticals that end up in urine. The EPA has selected Rich Earth for funding to conduct a study of traces of drugs in urine with the help of the University of Michigan.
But, even if there is minimal risk to personal or public health, Kim Nace realises that only a chosen few will ever be willing to collect their own urine with jugs and funnels. A much more realistic option is urine-diverting toilets, which have already been reliably engineered in Sweden.

The only complaint on the toilet is that the men have to sit to use it. Then again, the requirement keeps Kim's bathroom clean.
Vermont is considered one of the more progressive states in the USA and is the main producer of maple syrup.