Jerome Osentowski's permaculture
site in Basalt, Colorado, has a greenhouse attached on the south
side of his house for quick access. His home and the greenhouse
heat each other in the winter. Sunlight penetrates the south-facing
roof of the greenhouse and a long compost pile rests against the
wooden north wall, consuming Jerome's garbage while generating
useful 100° temperatures as the compost decays. A large black
metal tank filled with water soaks up heat from the sun and radiates
it out into the greenhouse. Carp and catfish in the tank not only
provide on occasional fish dinner; their wastes are carried through
a drip system to water and fertilize surrounding plants. Chicken
and pigeon coops against the west wall send bird body heat into
the greenhouse instead of the winter sky, and a small wood-fired
sauna gets fired up on extra-cold nights to heat people and all
the other denizens of the greenhouse. Among his other innovations,
Jerome has a "rabbit tractor" -- a rollable wire mesh
rabbit pen which he moves slowly (it takes months) over new garden
beds. The rabbits eat the weeds and simultaneously fertilize the
soil with their manure. The list goes on...