The Obama Organic Family Garden: Swimming in Sludge?

Below are my comments in response to this article: Read: The Obama Organic Family Garden: Swimming in Sludge? at HuffingtonPost

I don’t believe “sludge” is all bad…and frankly, needs to be dealt with, not avoided simply because its human feces.

Here on Maui we have a very interesting composting company, EKO Compost, that mixes biosolids from local wastewater treatment plants, with the amazing amount of green waste produced on the island. During the composting process, the mulched green waste is cooked with the “sludge” at high temperature for weeks on end to produce tremendously high quality, safe (the compost is tested daily throughout production), and amazingly fertile compost. In a show of true sustainability, from the biosolids and green waste (that all would either end up in the landfill or ocean), we get awesome compost that is reused to plant gardens and landscapes all over the island.

Obviously, biosolids need to be made safe for human use, but we need to start thinking beyond the easy conclusion that because its toxic, we should just avoid having to deal with it. Our biosolids and other forms of waste (from green, to food, to garbage of all kinds, to metals, electronics, more) all need to be brought into the equation to meet the earth’s need for human sustainability. Perhaps EKO-Compost’s example is one that can be brought to other parts of the US and world!

Here is my response to a question posed in the comment section:

HeevenSteven I’m a fan of this user permalink

How much lead do vegetables absorb from the soil?? That would be useful to know. Do some vegetables absorb more than others? Are there any that don’t absorb it?

Great question. Most “root” vegetables (i.e. potato, onion, garlic, taro, beet) are going to be the main absorbers of heavy metals and other toxins (in addition to nutrients). Fruit-bearing vegetables are going to be less effective at moving metals from the soil up into the fruit, of course depending on a toxin’s mobility and the type of fruit/nut produced. Peanut trees for example are particularly adept at moving toxins out of the soil and are often planted in order to “clean-up’ soils. Keep that in mind the next time you order Jiffy.