Worms!
I've recently become obsessed with worms. In particular, the kind that live in the top six inches of soil, eat your fruit and vegetable scraps, and produce beautifully rich worm castings otherwise known as "black gold".
These are RED WIGGLERS:
Red wiggler worms are, in other worms--I mean, words--the kinds of worms used in vermicomposting: a fancy term which basically means the breaking down of organic material into a soil amendment, using worms. Black gold is full of nutrients and good microorganisms that keep a soil healthy, and most importantly, alive!
There are many ways to have a vermicomposting system, and because I don't want to seem too crazy, or go overboard on worm info, I'll keep it basic (for now):
The simplest way, and the method I have in my own apartment, to have a vermicomposting system is by transforming a plastic storage bin into a home for worms. First, you find a plastic storage bin (the kind that is about 10 gallons, between 8-12 inches high, and has handles), drill a bunch of holes in the lid and around the top edge for air flow, and add some worms (along with bedding material and some food scraps). See this diagram I created for more detail:
There are lot of other methods out there, including a double bin method (for drainage), or a pre-made "worm factory". The latter is probably the best, but it also costs $$ and isn't as portable as a simple plastic bin.
Now, I'm not sure why I've become so obsessed with worms lately. You're probably wondering: who in the heck is this madwoman writing about worms on Helena's blog when she hasn't written a post since after moving to Lakeview??? Well, it's me, Helena! Patrick thinks it's funny whenever I talk about worms with him on the phone (which is a lot), and I'm pretty sure my mom freaked a little when I said I have worms for pets, but hey, they work hard and I want to keep taking care of them (yes, all 1,000+ of them).
In fact, this passion is not even new by any means: when I was a little girl, I used to plop myself onto the compost pile in the backyard of our house back in Belgium, and dig for worms that I would put into a jar. Maybe it's a fascination with worms, or with compost, but either way, I am hooked! (pun intended).
My passion for worms and vermicomposting was allowed to further escalate when I was selected to co-lead a peer-to-peer training at FoodCorps' Western Mid-Year Gathering in San Diego this winter. All FoodCorps service members from the Western states (including Oregon, California, Hawai'i, Montana, and several others) got together in San Diego for several days of trainings, discussions, and more. Although the catered food was disappointing (greasy, and not many plant-based options), it was good to touch base with other service members and hear about their experiences.
But, to bring it back to worms: a girl from Hawai'i and I worked together to develop and create a "peer-to-peer" session about compost and how it's a great tool to use to address and maybe even mitigate food waste, especially with kids in a school setting. For the first part of our session we presented on compost and gave an overview of food waste, then we split up into two groups to learn about Bokashi (with my partner) and vermicomposting (with me!). My group was able to put together a worm bin, a great hands-on activity easily done with a class of young and eager students.
In fact, I think vermicomposting is ideal for teaching kids about compost, because of how excited they get when they see worms! Even if they are grossed out and don't want to touch or hold the worms, kids are usually enthralled; much like myself!
Who knows, maybe this passion will one day turn into something more, a big worm farm maybe, like this:
Just kidding! (Or am I?) For now I am content with my worms and I'm eager to keep learning more about different ways to compost, and maybe even passing on some of the things I know to others...
If you made it this far, congratulations: you now know that I am crazy about worms! Feel free to reach out and let me know if you want to know more - I've done a lot of research about worms in the past few months and I really would be more than happy to share.
With love,
Helena (and her 1,000 worms)
These are RED WIGGLERS:
Red wiggler worms are, in other worms--I mean, words--the kinds of worms used in vermicomposting: a fancy term which basically means the breaking down of organic material into a soil amendment, using worms. Black gold is full of nutrients and good microorganisms that keep a soil healthy, and most importantly, alive!
There are many ways to have a vermicomposting system, and because I don't want to seem too crazy, or go overboard on worm info, I'll keep it basic (for now):
The simplest way, and the method I have in my own apartment, to have a vermicomposting system is by transforming a plastic storage bin into a home for worms. First, you find a plastic storage bin (the kind that is about 10 gallons, between 8-12 inches high, and has handles), drill a bunch of holes in the lid and around the top edge for air flow, and add some worms (along with bedding material and some food scraps). See this diagram I created for more detail:
There are lot of other methods out there, including a double bin method (for drainage), or a pre-made "worm factory". The latter is probably the best, but it also costs $$ and isn't as portable as a simple plastic bin.
Now, I'm not sure why I've become so obsessed with worms lately. You're probably wondering: who in the heck is this madwoman writing about worms on Helena's blog when she hasn't written a post since after moving to Lakeview??? Well, it's me, Helena! Patrick thinks it's funny whenever I talk about worms with him on the phone (which is a lot), and I'm pretty sure my mom freaked a little when I said I have worms for pets, but hey, they work hard and I want to keep taking care of them (yes, all 1,000+ of them).
In fact, this passion is not even new by any means: when I was a little girl, I used to plop myself onto the compost pile in the backyard of our house back in Belgium, and dig for worms that I would put into a jar. Maybe it's a fascination with worms, or with compost, but either way, I am hooked! (pun intended).
My passion for worms and vermicomposting was allowed to further escalate when I was selected to co-lead a peer-to-peer training at FoodCorps' Western Mid-Year Gathering in San Diego this winter. All FoodCorps service members from the Western states (including Oregon, California, Hawai'i, Montana, and several others) got together in San Diego for several days of trainings, discussions, and more. Although the catered food was disappointing (greasy, and not many plant-based options), it was good to touch base with other service members and hear about their experiences.
But, to bring it back to worms: a girl from Hawai'i and I worked together to develop and create a "peer-to-peer" session about compost and how it's a great tool to use to address and maybe even mitigate food waste, especially with kids in a school setting. For the first part of our session we presented on compost and gave an overview of food waste, then we split up into two groups to learn about Bokashi (with my partner) and vermicomposting (with me!). My group was able to put together a worm bin, a great hands-on activity easily done with a class of young and eager students.
 |
| A group of kids putting together a worm bin at a recent event I organized for MLK Jr Day of Service |
In fact, I think vermicomposting is ideal for teaching kids about compost, because of how excited they get when they see worms! Even if they are grossed out and don't want to touch or hold the worms, kids are usually enthralled; much like myself!
 |
| A page out of the book, Wiggling Worms at Work |
Who knows, maybe this passion will one day turn into something more, a big worm farm maybe, like this:
Just kidding! (Or am I?) For now I am content with my worms and I'm eager to keep learning more about different ways to compost, and maybe even passing on some of the things I know to others...
If you made it this far, congratulations: you now know that I am crazy about worms! Feel free to reach out and let me know if you want to know more - I've done a lot of research about worms in the past few months and I really would be more than happy to share.
With love,
Helena (and her 1,000 worms)
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