When I made a new bed of strawberries last week, I covered the surface of the soil with black mulch material as this helps to prevent the plants from being choked by weeds and keeps the strawberries off the soil.
However our strawberry bed isn’t only what it seems to be….
It covers a highly efficient, self-contained, underground wastewater treatment system;
a triple chamber DIY septic tank! A septic tank separates and processes wastes. From our domestic wastewater that flows into the tank, heavy solids settle to the bottom, forming a layer of sludge. Greases, oils, and lighter solids rise to the top, creating a layer of scum.
The traditional toilet of our houseThe area between these two layers is filled with liquid effluent that can flow through the outlet pipe to the drainfield. The layers of sludge and scum remain in the septic tank where bacteria found naturally in the wastewater work to break the solids down. The layer of clarified liquid flows from the septic tank to the drainfield. The drainfield treats the wastewater by allowing it to slowly trickle from the outlet pipe out into the gravel and down through the soil. The gravel and soil act as biological filters.
September 2008: Arnold making an inside bucket toilet for our first winterIt is a well-known system which we learned to design when studying Tropical Agriculture 15 years ago. I never knew that one day we would build one in a less tropical climate. To start the biological breakdown process in the tank you can buy all kinds of commercial starters but according to our former teacher a death chicken will work as good and the best solution was to put your mother in law in it!
April 2009: Making a triple chamber septic tank before we installed a flush toilet
Finally nice weather again! I have been waiting for days to be able to make pictures of our future campsite. Here they are. It will be a very spacious, calm and rural campsite, with lots of nature and animals around. Without disco, snack bar or karaoke evenings. Just a place to enjoy the calmness of rural southern Slovakia with endless forests and fields. The sanitairy facilities are still under construction but will be first-rate and as an extra we will offer day-care for our customers dogs.
After more then 5 months of hot and dry weather, Autumn started last weekend. Today it is Winter. The temperature has dropped 20 degrees Celcius compared with last week and it is snowing! So this morning we did quickly harvest our last not cold resistant vegetables and lit our stove... 
When I made a new bed of strawberries last week, I covered the surface of the soil with black mulch material as this helps to prevent the plants from being choked by weeds and keeps the strawberries off the soil. 
It covers a highly efficient, self-contained, underground wastewater treatment system; a triple chamber DIY septic tank! A septic tank separates and processes wastes. From our domestic wastewater that flows into the tank, heavy solids settle to the bottom, forming a layer of sludge. Greases, oils, and lighter solids rise to the top, creating a layer of scum. 
I try to train our 2-year-old stallion every morning for just 15 minutes so that next year when the real work will start it will be easier for both of us.
