Making the compost preparations involves filling animal organs like bladders, intestines, and skulls with dried flowers and herbs over different seasons of the year. The filled organs are then buried and dug up later to be added to compost piles. Some preparations like valerian are extracted as juices or essences. The preparations are stored in glass or terra cotta jars and used by making holes in compost piles and inserting small amounts of the plant-filled organs or extracts.

1. Making the compost preparations

2. Making the compost preparations
 The preparations use
dried flowers and
herbs enclosed in
animal organs as
sheaths.
 Can be a community
event where the
cultural and human
aspect of the farm is
celebrated.

3. Yarrow (502)
 In the spring deer
bladders are filled
with yarrow
flowers.
 Filled bladders are
hung in a sunny
and sheltered spot.

4. Yarrow (502)
 Bladders are
buried over
winter and dug
up in spring

5. Chamomile (503)
 In autumn, cow
intestines are filled
with dried and re-
moistened
chamomile flowers
 Filled intestines
are buried over
winter and dug up
in spring.

6. Nettle (504)
 In summer, just as they
begin to flower, nettles
are cut down, left to wilt
for a day.
 They are buried for one
year.
 The spot where they are
buried is well marked.
 Dug up after a year and
stored.

7. Oak Bark (505)
 In autumn oak bark
is shaved
 A skull of a
domesticated
animal is filled with
oak bark

8. Oak Bark (505)
 Skulls are buried
in a place where
water will flow
over them.
 Skulls are dug
up and emptied
in spring

9. Dandelion (506)
 In autumn a cow
mesentery is filled
with dried and re-
hydrated
dandelion flowers.
The mesentery
and flowers are
sewn in to a small
parcel

10. Dandelion (506)
 The mesentery
parcels are buried
over winter and
dug up in spring

11. Valerian (507)
 Juice or essence is extracted
from the flowers of the
Valerian plant. This is done
either by crushing the flowers
or steeping them in water in
the sun.
 The juice is kept in bottles until
needed.

12. Storage
 The preparations are stored in glass or terracotta jars
in a box lined with peat.

13. Using the preparations
 Make a hole with a
stick in the heap.
 Put a pinch of a
preparation in a small
ball of compost or soil.
 Drop the ball into the
hole.
 Cover
 A few drops of
Valerian are diluted for
10 minutes in water
and sprayed on the
heap.