Greetings and Peace!     

 Erika Muhammad

*If you know of any great gardening books, magazines, websites, and novels please let us know. 

Let's start with a very simple definition:

Vermicomposting is the process of having redworms and other decomposer organisms process our organic waste and turn it into a great natural fertilizer (called vermicompost).

And one more definition:

Vermicompost contains: worm castings ("vermicastings"), good aerobic compost from other worm bin organisms, and some material (food waste, bedding, etc.) that's on its way to the worms or other critters.

Vermicomposting is easy, requires very few supplies, and can be done by anyone. A simple box or container makes a fine worm bin and keeps worms and decomposing food scraps in one area.

The worm bin is kept indoors or out, depending on your needs and preferences and may be fed most of your non-meat food scraps. They require very little attention, do not get sick, and don't mind if you go on vacation.

In addition, redworms are voracious eaters that are extremely happy to spend the day eating organic waste, excreting worm castings and making more worms, providing you with high quality compost!

Thus, in a few months, redworms will have turned your food scraps into vermicompost.

Well, in addition to all that we've said above, vermicomposting helps to:

• keep valuable resources out of the landfill
• grow better veggies
• having fun looking at tiny critters in the worm bin
• feeling good at recycling nutrients that don't need to be wasted
• making a few bucks now and then, selling worms to new composters

These are the most common reasons people start vermicomposting. Each of us has our own reasons, though, and they're much more interesting.

Why Vermicomposting Isn't Gross

taken from moneycrashers.com

Some people find the idea of having thousands of worms in their home creepy, and maybe even a bit disgusting. And there's no doubt it takes some getting used to. But I've been vermicomposting over a year now and I have to say I'm completely fascinated by what goes on with my worms (which I named the Snickersons). They take my food waste and turn it into a liquid fertilizer called "worm tea," which I use to water my plants, and a rich compost I use in my garden. It's pretty amazing.

When done correctly, worm bins don't smell at all. When you lift the lid, all you smell is damp, rich earth. And you get to participate in nature's finest recycling system.

I'll be the first to admit that I made some mistakes along the way with my worm bin. There were times, especially in the beginning, when it did stink. But this was because I was feeding my worms too much and I didn't have enough newspaper bedding on the top. You need to start off slowly, and build up how much you feed your worms as their population grows.

Another time (thinking that the Snickersons might want some fresh air) I moved them to the front porch to enjoy the summer weather. Big mistake. My worm bin got infested with so many fruit flies that it literally took months to get rid of them all. I also didn't think about how hot the sun would be on that black plastic bin - I almost roasted the poor Snickersons to death.

So, there's definitely a learning curve! But I've had fun every step along the way and I know I'll be vermicomposting the rest of my life.

"We must prepare and grow our own food, because this is a highly commercialized world. They graft a lot of food, and some of this food is not good for our stomachs."