Hobbies And Interests
What is Vermiculture?
Vermiculture is a method of composting that involves using worms to turn organic food waste into fertilizer. Typically, worms are raised in bins, much like standard composting bins. As the worms consume the food waste, they turn it into a rich composting material, much higher in nutrients than chemically produced fertilizers. Vermiculture is a simple, convenient and environmentally friendly method of converting organic waste into vital nutrients for the soil.
In the Beginning
Aristotle, a Greek philosopher who lived from 384 to 322 B.C., called earthworms "the intestines of the Earth" because he understood the important role that earthworms played in maintaining the soil. However, until the end of the 19th century, most people believed that if you had earthworms in your garden, they'd eat the roots of your plants. It wasn't until 1881, when Darwin published "The Formation of Vegetable Mould Through the Action of Worms with Observations on Their Habits" that people began to take notice of the lowly little earthworm.
The 1950s
In the 1950s, red worms were brought over with Asian immigrants as they migrated to California. Hence the name, the California red worm. The California red worm, which was originally thought to be a hybrid, is still today the worm of choice for agriculturalists because it can easily adapt itself to different types of soils and climates and it reproduces quickly.
The 1970s
The California red worm developed a bad reputation in the 1970s, however, although it was more a matter of guilt by association. In the late 1970s, scam artists started telling people that they could make $14,000 a year just by raising worms and selling them as bait, fertilizer or even food. By the end of the 1970s, the California red worm traffic had come to a complete halt.
The 1990s
By the early 1990s, people were becoming more conscious of the environment and composting became the method of choice for fertilizing farms and gardens. This was quickly followed by vermiculture as people realized they could take their organic food waste, feed it to the worms and the worms would produce a premium quality organic fertilizer. And not only will they eat organic food waste, but they'll eat just about anything else, too, including livestock waste, rotten food and newspaper, which helps cut down on waste that would ordinarily go to landfills.
The Present
Vermiculture has become a major business in America with one company playing host to more than 50 million worms that eat almost 90 tons of waste per week. In 1997, the International Worm Growers Association was started with nearly 300 charter members. Vermicycle Organics produces more than 7.5 million pounds of natural fertilizer per year. And in its home state, California red worms are being sold at $20 per pound to homeowners across the state who are being required by law to reduce the amount of waste that goes to their landfills by at least 20 percent.