Part 2 – Harvesting Liquid Gold & Humanure Nutrients at Blissfully Simple Homestead

See how for 28 years, David and Pearl have been easily and affordably turning “wastes” into safe and fertile resources with the integrated harvests of urine, greywater, & rainwater within mulched and vegetated water-harvesting orchard basins.

Plus the inexpensive site-built barrel composting toilet system they designed, which has been legalized for use state-wide in Arizona. (I’ve been using this system at my place for well over a decade with great success)!

The finished compost has been tested by University of Arizona labs, and found safe for growing food crops. In fact, this composted humanure is the only soil they use to grow all their delicious on-site greens and veggies!

This has saved them thousands of dollars as there is no need for, or cost of, sewer hook up, septic tanks, and/or their maintenance.

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CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
1:06 Integrated urine, greywater, and rainwater harvesting
6:24 Nature walk to the compost toilet
7:54 Site-built barrel compost toilet system
9:28 Urine diversion funnel
9:59 Peat knocking with compost crank
11:50 Insect management and venting
12:56 Home-made insect trap
14:33 Steps of use once you are done making deposit in compost toilet
14:55 Why there is a urine diverting funnel in the compost toilet
15:52 How system met requirements for legalization in state of Arizona
16:30 How much a site-built barrel compost toilet system costs
16:59 Urine diversion tube
18:53 Steps of use once barrel fills with material
19:53 Cranking of the compost in the aging barrels
23:28 Compost crank toilet brush holsters
24:20 Test results of lab testing of the finished composted material
24:44 Hand-washing station (they also have a hand-washing station beside the compost toilet)
25:20 Fully composted material from compost toilet is the soil in which they grow their abundant food garden
26:38 Nothing in nature goes to waste – how this system collaborates with natural systems

Filmed in Cascabel, Arizona December 20, 2025
Average annual rainfall: 10.28 inches (261 mm)
Elevation: 3,200 feet (975 m)
Latitude: 32.29˚ N

DAVID & PEARL’S WEBSITE
https://www.omick.net/

COMPOST CRANK
https://www.lotechproducts.com/products/long-compost-crank

HOW TO BUILD A BARREL COMPOSTING TOILET
https://www.harvestingrainwater.com/video/24901/

HOW USE A BARREL COMPOSTING TOILET
https://www.harvestingrainwater.com/video/24904/

BARREL COMPOST TOILET KITS, PERMITTING, DETERMINING NUMBER OF BARRELS, AND MORE
https://watershedmg.org/programs/composting-toilets

SOURCE OF BLACK PLASTIC BARRELS IN SOUTHERN ARIZONA
Arizona Sustainable Living, 9121 E Camino Abril, Tucson
You sometimes have to wait a few weeks for black barrels to come in.

“Don’t Flush Your Mush” SONG IN CELEBRATION OF COMPOSTING TOILETS
https://www.harvestingrainwater.com/video/mr-brown-sings-dont-flush-your-mush-in-celebration-of-composting-toilets/

MULTI-USE NATIVE PLANTS IN THE SONORAN DESERT
https://tucsonnativeplants.com/