Worm Composting

Vermicomposting WHAT – Process of using worms to recycle organic material and food scraps into castings (waste) or compost (vermicompost) (vermiculture)

Vermicomposting WHY Advantages Benefits Easy to do year-round SEVEN times richer in nutrients than regular compost No turning, no odor, & little watering – worms do the work Benefits Environmental Economic Soil health Plant growth and vigor Fun and educational

Vermicomposting WHERE – Almost anywhere Indoors, Outdoors Dark, Warm, Moist, Ventilated

Vermicomposting HOW Container (can be aerated) Bedding such as shredded newspaper Moisture and proper temperature Redworms & food waste

Vermicomposting Home Made Home made version – drill a few holes for air and drainage Works, inexpensive – a better way would be to drill 2” holes and use 2” soffet vents

Can-O-Worms Can-o-Worms Expensive Unique ladder type system Caution about the legs and drain

Worm Friendly Bin I like this bin, great areation and drainage

Vermicomposting Mid-Scale Above ground bin that could be easily insulated and green house heater cables installed to maintain a comfortable environment for the worms. Manual and labor intensive to harvest. .

EPM Worm Wigwam Worm Wigwam I believe this unit can consume 50 – 100 Lbs Food Waste/day This particular unit is in NC Mechanical harvester

EPM Flow Through System EPM manure handling system, 4’ x 32’, capacity of about 125 Lbs per day

Vermitech Food/paper Digester Vermitech System – Metro Hall , Toronto – 150 Lbs/Day Food & Paper Several units of this size are being utilized Arnold AFB, Tellehoma, TN , moved to Wright Patterson AFB, Dayton OH College of DuPage, Glen Ellen, IL, Each of these units have stories that will make a point Long term commitment – 1 year after set up the supervisor was transferred, it too k a few months to get somebody in it’s place – that person was either too busy or not that interested. They ended up finding a new home (WP AFB) College of DuPage – no supervisor, Shamili didn't get the cafeteria involved – they refused to separate no food for the worms, Onion story 1 ½ years later the unit is in storage because of building expansion Building Permits were a problem U of M, the coordinator left just a month after the unit was installed – nobody to take over the project- sat idle for 6 months 100 Lbs of dead worms

Worm Composting - Hog Waste Lagoon

Worm Composting Windrows Vermicycle, Tarboro, NC 15000 LBS/Day Hog Manure

Worm Composting – Casting Production

Large Worm Screen Large scale worm screener

Vermicomposting in Action Bedding

Vermicomposting in Action Moisture & Temperature

Vermicomposting in Action Redworms

Vermicomposting in Action Redworms (Eisenia foetidaie & Lumbricus rubellus) Live in the top 12 inches of soil Feed on organic decaying matter Can eat their body weight in food every day Generate 75% of body weight in worm poop (castings) each day Lay one cocoon every week or so Each cocoon produces 3 to 4 baby worms Begin breeding at 4 to 6 weeks of age Worms can double population every 90 days Live up to 2 years

Vermicomposting in Action Food Waste YES Most fruits and veggies Coffee grounds and filters Tea leaves and bags Egg shells Most cereals and grains (oatmeal, pasta, rice, cornmeal, pancakes, breads) MAYBE Onions Garlic Ginger

Vermicomposting in Action Food Waste NO Meat, fish, dairy, oil, or bones Potato chips, candy, oils Citrus NO-NO's Plastic Rubber bands Sponges Aluminum foil Glass

Vermicomposting in Action Harvesting Vermicompost

Vermicomposting in Action How to Use Vermicompost Excellent fertilizer; will not burn plants Use as mulch or soil conditioner in home garden Use in potting soil mixes for houseplants Use as top dressing for lawns Combine with potting soil mixes and use as medium for starting young seedlings

Vermicomposting in Action Compost Tea Liquid produced from vermicomposting Protects plants from disease Improves nutrient retention Decomposes harmful chemicals Transforms compacted soil into healthy soil Reduces water usage Decreases run-off and leaching

Composting vs. Landfilling Some Numbers to Consider Food and yard waste account for at least 25% of landfill materials AA dining halls generate 700 pounds food waste each week 12% of total greenhouse gas emissions generated from growing, preparing, and shipping food Eating 1 pound of food daily generates 1.5 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually CO2 impact from edible food waste per person equates to taking 1 to 4 cars off the road CO2, methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) generated as organic waste decays in landfills CH4 21 times worse and N2O 300 times worse than CO2 Proper composting minimizes greenhouse gas emissions and extends life of landfills by saving space

Q & A Prize Patrol TRUE or FALSE Redworms consume almost all types of waste, including bones, glass, and plastic False – although they can break down some items such as milk and meat products it will take longer and smell – glass and plastic may injure worms and can’t be broken down

Q & A Prize Patrol TRUE or FALSE If you can’t find redworms, use earthworms in your worm bin False – earthworms are not as efficient as red worms and will not consume food or produce waste at a high enough level to compost

Why won’t night crawlers work… Not a composter. ~ Garden variety worm are soil- dwelling species that tunnel & borrow. ~ Do not consume large volumes of organic material. ~ Will not reproduce well while being confined. ~ Live several feet below surface. ~ Feed on the surface at night.

Q & A Prize Patrol TRUE or FALSE Besides being beneficial to plants and the soil, compost tea can be applied to the scalp to reverse male pattern baldness True – although there is not research to support this it has been adopted by some cultures as an accepted practice