A plain-language guide
What is terramation?
Terramation, also called natural organic reduction or human composting, is a gentle process that transforms a body into living soil. It asks nothing of fire, chemicals, or concrete. It simply gives a person back to the earth, the way a forest floor renews itself, and it leaves behind soil that grows things.
The body rests in a warm vessel with wood chips, alfalfa, and straw. Naturally occurring microbes, the same quiet workers that turn autumn leaves into spring soil, do the rest over several weeks. What remains is about half a cubic yard of rich, living soil, which a family can use to plant, enrich, and remember.
One thing people are often surprised to learn: it is peaceful to see. Families who tour our Care Center tell us the mystery was the scary part, and the reality was calm, warm, and even beautiful.
Questions families ask
- Is terramation legal in Colorado?
- Yes. Colorado legalized natural organic reduction in 2021, a law The Natural Funeral helped champion. We remain the only funeral home in the state that performs it.
- How long does terramation take?
- The transformation itself takes several weeks, followed by about thirty days of curing and rest. Most families receive or place the soil within two to four months.
- What can the soil be used for?
- Families plant memorial trees, enrich gardens, and restore land their person loved. Under Colorado law the soil is never sold and is not used to grow food for people, and we honor both rules completely.
- Is it dignified?
- Deeply. Your person rests in a wooden Chrysalis™ vessel surrounded by wood chips, alfalfa, and straw, often with flowers and letters from their family. Nothing about it is industrial, and families are welcome at the laying-in.
- Can family take part?
- Yes, and many do. The laying-in ceremony welcomes family participation: placing flowers, sharing words, and simply being present. Some families also help place the finished soil.