An In-Depth Look at Our Process, Part 3

Previously I went over our second step which is all about creating compost from organic materials.  The compost is not yet ready to be used as soil, thus we need our third step.

Step Number Three

This step will be preformed by our wonderful worms.  Namely, the E. fetida species, also known as the redworm or red wiggler.  This species of worm dwells above the soil and can consume about 1/2 of a pound a day (1).  While this may sound like very little, we are going to be getting at least a thousand worms, just imagine how much they all can recycle!

The face of a hero.

What we're doing here is called "vermicomposting."  This means we will be using worms to help us out to make healthy soil!  The word itself comes from the Latin word for worms, vermes, combined with composting (2).  The literal translation would be "Worm Composting," which is exactly what we will be doing.  These worms, in combination with other microorganisms that naturally occur in soil, break down the material even further than normal composting would.  Basically, they eat and then pass the waste, and that waste is full of nutrients for plants.


(1) http://redwigglersupply.ca/worm-facts/

(2) http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/25524/7/08_chapter%201.pdf

https://www.nationalwormsandcompost.com.au/red-wigglers