Do you have to burn the bones?

Hi there, I'm new here.

We have a lot of bones saved up - I've been making beef broth with shanks, knuckle bones and marrow bones every week for about 3 years. I've been hearing that you can burn bones and grind them up to make bone meal, but I'm wondering if you really have to. We don't have space for a big enough fire! Couldn't you bury them? If you did, what would be the best spot? Underneath the wood in a hugel? On top of it? Under specific plants? How deep?

Also, I have a lot of used deep-fryer tallow and bacon fat. What do you recommend doing with that? Can it be used for biodiesel or is it too sludgy? Can it be buried? I've used it in firestarters but it stinks pretty bad, and I don't need much of it for that.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Howdy Mike welcome to Permies! I will be looking forward to hearing the answer to your question about bones also. Might want to post about the fat for biodiesel in the other forum about that.

The buried bones wouldn't be as accessible as bone meal, but I'd bury them in a hugelbeet, why not? My understanding of soil science says that soil life, especially fungus, has the ability to move nutrients around underground. Biodynamics has suggestions for burying cow horns in garden beds, and I have buried deer antlers because I have them and they are similar.

Thanks! That's very helpful.