Vermicomposting means

PHOENIX – Vv Acevedo reaches into one of the dirt piles that line the Arizona Worm Farm and pulls out a handful of dirt. It’s full of squirming worms buried just beneath the surface. Located near South Mountain, the farm breeds red wiggler worms for vermicomposting, which is the process of using worms to break down food waste into nutrient-rich soil that fertilizes plants. “As your plants are growing, they’re putting all of that energy and nutrients into the leaves and the fruit and everything that falls,” said Acevedo, director of education at the farm. “It doesn’t have a way of returning back into the soil. That’s where the worms come in. They will help break all that down and return those nutrients into the soil.” The farm is working to combat food waste with its vermicomposting efforts, selling worms to promote commercial and backyard vermicomposting, and educating consumers and businesses about the process. Food waste is any food that gets thrown away, wastes resources, adds to landfills and increases environmental impact through methane gas production. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s website defines food waste as “the edible amount of food, postharvest, that is available for human consumption but is not consumed for any reason.” Food waste is a huge problem. Each year, 119 billion pounds of food is wasted in the U.S. with nearly 40% of all food in America wasted, according to Feeding America, a nonprofit that addresses hunger. The Arizona Worm Farm started in 20...

Both bokashi and vermicomposting are alternative methods of composting. Sort of. We know that purists are going to say that bokashi isn’t a true composting method, but we are going to take the view that it is. The end result is the same i.e. you get something that you can use as a fertilizer if you wish. So, bokashi vs vermicomposting. Which one is better? Well, they both have their pros and cons. If you are planning on composting a lot of meat products, then bokashi is for you. If you want the fastest composting method, then vermicomposting is for you. We are going to break this down a little bit. We are only going to be focusing on the differences here, so make sure that you read all of the information on this page. This way, you are going to know whether bokashi or vermicomposting is for you. Table of Contents • • • • • • • • • • • What Are the Benefits of Bokashi? As we said before, bokashi isn’t really a composting method. You are really fermenting everything that you throw into the bokashi bin. Bokashi will need a bokashi starter mixture. This is mostly sugary items mixed up with brans and grains. Benefits bokashi You won’t be able to make this yourself easily. Instead, you are going to need to purchase the bokashi starter from somewhere. Bokashi only works if you have a completely sealed bokashi bin. This means no air can flow into it. You will have to regularly drain off any liquid produced by the bokashi mixture. Bokashi is actually a two-stage process, which is o...

There is variety in size and complexity of vermicomposting systems. Some that you buy have many trays and levels, while others are quite simple. To start vermicomposting, you don't need the bigger or more complex systems, which are most useful if you have a lot of food waste. For an average home with 1-4 people, a simple system as described below is a great place to start learning—you can always up your complexity later. These worms are available online and at local garden stores and they're not too expensive, about $30-$40 for a pound of worms, which is the amount most people start with. Importantly, the redworms need to be kept relatively warm but not too hot, at about 55 F to 85 F—and they need a little moisture. Treehugger / Christian Yonkers Vermicomposting is a little different from other types of composting in terms of what materials can be processed. Because it's much smaller than a backyard composting system, you aren't going to be able to throw garden or yard waste like bags of dried leaves, branches, or other large debris into the system. Vermicomposting is more about utilizing food waste that you generate in your kitchen. Treehugger / Christian Yonkers If you are vermicomposting, it is likely you have limited space. First, think about location—ideally, you want your system close to the kitchen where you produce your food scraps (aka worm food). A closet or pantry area in your kitchen could work, but perhaps a large drawer or under-sink area would have enough ro...

Vermicomposting is a Simply speaking, vermicompost is earthworm excrement, called castings, which can improve biological, chemical, and physical properties of the soil. The chemical secretions in the earthworm’s digestive tract help break down soil and organic matter, so the castings contain more nutrients that are immediately available to plants. How is Vermicompost Produced A wide range of organic residues, such as straw, husk, leaves, stalks, weeds etc can be converted into vermicompost. Other potential feedstock for vermicompost production are livestock wastes, poultry litter, dairy wastes, Each earthworm weighs about 0.5 to 0.6 gram, eats waste equivalent to its body weight and produces cast equivalent to about 50 percent of the waste it consumes in a day. The moisture content of castings ranges between 32 and 66 percent and the pH is around 7. The level of nutrients in compost depends upon the source of the raw material and the species of earthworm. There are nearly 3600 types of earthworms which are divided into burrowing and non-burrowing types. Red earthworm species, like Eisenia foetida, and are most efficient in The burrowing types of earthworms come onto the soil surface only at night. These make holes in the soil up to a depth of 3.5 m and produce 5.6 kg casts by ingesting 90 percent soil and 10 percent organic waste. The types of vermicomposting depend upon the amount of production and composting structures. Small-scale vermicomposting is done to meet persona...

• Homestead • Gardening • How to Start a Garden • Planting Zone Map • First & Last Frost Dates • Planting Calendar • Garden Size Calculator • Plant Growing Guides • Fertilizer Calculator • C/N Compost Calculator • Gardening Basics • Animals • Chickens • Beekeeping • Goats • DIY • More • Frugal Living • Food & Drinks • Home Decor • Survival & Prepping • Handmade Ame lives off-the-grid on her beautiful farm in Falmouth, Kentucky. She has been gardening organically for over 30 years and has grown vegetables, fruits, herbs, flowers, and ornamentals. She also participates in Farmers Markets, CSA, and mentors young farmers. Ame is the founder and director of Fox Run Environmental Education Center where she teaches environmental education programs in self-sufficiency, herbal medicine, green building, and wildlife conservation. Slender, slimy, wiggly worms. We all know they are good for the garden, and a This article will show you how. What Is Vermicomposting? Worms are not just good for catching fish or aerating dense soil, and there’s a growing trend to raise worms. Why you may ask? Because the end product of worms is delightful! Vermiculture is the science of raising worms – vermi means worm in Latin. Vermiculture is the practice of keeping worms with the purpose of making dark rich castings (that’s worm poop)! This nutrient-rich humus is an excellent source of nutrients for your garden. You might not think about worm poop when you think about Why Raise Worms? Worms are surpris...

Table of Contents • • • • • • • • • • • • What is Vermicomposting or Worm Composting? Vermicomposting or Worm Composting is the decomposition process of using various species of worms, usually, red wigglers, white worms, and other earthworms, to break down organic matter (like kitchen scraps and other green waste) into compost. Here you should note one thing, this decomposition process is called vermicomposting, while the rearing of worms for this purpose is called Vermiculture. Earthworms feed on the organic waste materials and give out excreta which are known as vermicasts (also called worm castings, worm manure, worm humus, or worm feces). Vermicast contains reduced levels of contaminants and has a higher saturation of nutrients than the organic matter before vermicomposting. It is rich in nitrates and minerals such as magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and calcium. What is Vermicompost? Vermicompost (or vermi-compost) is the end product of vermicomposting using various species of worms. It is the mixture of partially composted vegetable or food waste, vermicast (worm castings), and any resistant materials that will not readily break down. A high-quality vermicompost will have a high percentage of worm castings in it, but there is a little chance that having every last bit of material in your worm composting system pass through a worm at least once. It is rich in water-soluble nutrients and is also loaded with the microbes that make and maintain healthy soil. Vermicompos...

Did you know that there are different types of composting? Aerobic composting and vermicomposting require ventilation. Anaerobic composting works without oxygen. How do you make compost? Which type is best for households, farms, businesses, institutions, and schools? How Composting Works Composting takes advantage of the natural process of decomposition. When leaves drop on the ground in the fall, Mother Nature breaks them down. Ants and other insects, bacteria, and fungi do their work. Soon, nothing remains except brown matter, which becomes part of the topsoil. This rich organic matter nourishes plants, helps regulate water saturation, and creates air pockets. Humans harnessed composting when we took up agriculture. Digging organic material into the fields made the plants grow stronger and healthier. The fruit, vegetable, bean, pulse, lentil, and grain harvests were more bountiful. We learned how to break down animal manure, kitchen scraps, seaweed, vines, and other organic material. Human-directed decomposition is called “composting.” This word originates from the late 14th century Old French word, compote. It came from the Latin word, compositus, meaning “put together.” Oxygen and Composting Bacteria grows during the decomposition process. Different types of bacteria need different amounts of oxygen. “Aerobic” means needing oxygen. “Anaerobic” means the opposite: needing little or no oxygen. Both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria break down organic matter. When setting up...