What to do with the old branches?  Well, Eenie-Bob who's been helping out for a month had an idea...

First he dug a bit of a hole at the end of one of our 1 plow furrow/small sloped svale...

Then he stuffed in a bunch of branches which we had pruned from the orchard during spring...

Then a layer of composted grass and the 4 years old compost from our separating compost toilet + some rottening apples...

Add to this the original topsoil, grass and a bunch more apples and apple pulp from making juice...

And top it off with a trailer load of well composted hemp straw and wood chips...

And suddenly you have a 'German mound' or 'hugel betten', ready for the spring! All in half a days work. (Though we soon should get a truck load of grass from the town hall which will go on top.

-Marek visited and have more good photos, also of the emptying of our compost toilet, perhaps he'll share on www.permaweb.cz ?  Should anyone wonder what the structure next to it is, then have a look here for photos of our new Big Bale Barn: https://picasaweb.google.com/permamax/BBBB2BigBaleBuildingBasics?au...

It will get a compost roof, which in time should start growing into a green roof and will create a look of another hill in the landscape.