{"id":52,"date":"2014-11-18T21:49:21","date_gmt":"2014-11-18T21:49:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ivaluefood.com\/resources\/?post_type=composting&#038;p=52"},"modified":"2021-01-21T16:42:34","modified_gmt":"2021-01-21T16:42:34","slug":"a-love-affair-with-worms","status":"publish","type":"composting","link":"https:\/\/ivaluefood.com\/resources\/composting\/a-love-affair-with-worms\/","title":{"rendered":"A Love Affair With Worms"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>What is <a href=\"http:\/\/lancaster.unl.edu\/pest\/resources\/vermicompost107.shtml\">Vermicomposting?<\/a><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-468 alignright\" title=\"worm bin\" src=\"https:\/\/ivaluefood.com\/resources\/wp-content\/themes\/ivaluefood\/img\/worm-bin3-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"384\" height=\"384\" \/><\/p>\n<p>It almost sounds like a foreign word, but vermicomposting is the process of using worms to compost food waste into a rich, black humus. The \u201chumus\u201d is actually a compost of the worm castings (castings is a fancy way of saying: worm poop!)<\/p>\n<p>The worms eat the food scraps, paper, etc that you put into your bin and their excrement is a rich, black, dirt-like compost that your plants will absolutely love! (and it has no smell, it really looks and feels like dirt, so don\u2019t worry!)<\/p>\n<p>To get started you need:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Worm Bin<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/unclejimswormfarm.com\/?gclid=CPz428b38a8CFYQGRQodoWzA5Q\">Worms<\/a> \u2013 make sure you get the right kind of<a href=\"http:\/\/www.redworms.com\/\"> Redworms<\/a> \u2013 not all worms are alike!<\/li>\n<li>Paper and food scraps to compost!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you choose to buy a worm bin, there are a few different styles to choose from.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-359 alignnone\" title=\"worm bin1\" src=\"https:\/\/ivaluefood.com\/resources\/wp-content\/themes\/ivaluefood\/img\/worm-bin1.jpg\" alt=\"\" height=\"199\" \/><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-361\" title=\"worm bin2\" src=\"https:\/\/ivaluefood.com\/resources\/wp-content\/themes\/ivaluefood\/img\/worm-bin21.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"164\" height=\"199\" \/><\/p>\n<p>There are also several websites that will help you <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JjjuYNilM60\">build your own worm bin<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Once you have the bin and the worms, you\u2019ll want to prep it for success. The worms like paper including your junk mail minus the plastic parts. They eat most food waste as well with the exception of\u00a0 dairy, meats and citrus (although citrus is ok in small amounts).<\/p>\n<p>The first time you put the worms in the bin make sure you have a good mix of paper and food waste. The shredded up paper\/newspaper\/old magazines\/cardboard is called \u201cbedding\u201d and you\u2019ll need a good layer of bedding to start your bin off. Make sure you shred it well so the worms can move around and through the bedding. Spray a little water on the bedding to get it damp.<\/p>\n<div class=\"challenge-link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/ivaluefood.com\/challenge\/\"><span>Take the Challenge:<\/span> Learn easy ways to waste less food and save money.<\/a><\/div>\n<p>You\u2019ll want to add some of these paper products every so often so the inside of the bin doesn\u2019t get too wet. The heat inside the bin creates water vapor and your worms can drown in too much water!<\/p>\n<p>Most bins will have a valve to drain excess water. The water is actually called \u201cworm tea\u201d. This brown \u201ctea\u201d is also great for your plants or your garden.<\/p>\n<p>Expect to harvest your worm castings every few months. All you need to do is keep feeding your worms. The amount of worms you\u2019ll need depends on how much kitchen waste you produce each day. Start with one pound of worms for a typical family of four and add more if they aren\u2019t eating the food fast enough.<\/p>\n<p>It helps to chop or cut up the food and paper waste before putting it in your bin. The worms will be able to eat it faster.<\/p>\n<p>The worms will keep reproducing and if a couple escape into your soil it\u2019s good for the whole ecosystem so don\u2019t worry! The great thing about worm bins is they don\u2019t smell \u2013 as long as you follow the rules and don\u2019t put in any dairy or meat. It\u2019s a great way to up-cycle almost all your food waste. And when you put the compost back into your garden to grow more food, you\u2019ve created a closed-loop, truly sustainable food system.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-52","composting","type-composting","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ivaluefood.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/composting\/52"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ivaluefood.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/composting"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ivaluefood.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/composting"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ivaluefood.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}