Here's a recent article by Larry Gallagher in Ode Magazine, where your AFM editor is quoted, somewhat sideways...
"After I shed this mortal coil, I would like to get back into the mix as directly as possible. I call Cynthia Beal, who runs a company called Natural Burial Company that sells products and services to assist in the effort to reintegrate with the planet in a more orderly fashion. “It’s all about dinner,” she says. “In this case, you’re what’s for dinner. You will be the life of the party—literally.”
[he got that part right. The next bit is a tad truncated and destroys much of any useful accuracy by eliminating the context of our conversation.]
Larry continues:
"she says the fastest way to dispose of your body is not to bury it at all, although for obvious reasons she is not recommending this. Next best is a shallow grave, 20 to 24 inches (a little more than 50 centimeters) deep, since this is where many of the organisms that will be eating you are living. The rest you are already carrying around with you in your gut."
While 20-4 inches is "next best" for the most rapid decomposition (which was his question to me), it is not what we do when we bury people in cemeteries, even natural ones. Generally, burial takes place with at least 20-24" of soil ON TOP of the body. However, that said, you can read more of Larry's interesting article by visiting Ode Magazine's link...
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