Worm Composting

Source Used: http://www.cityfarmer.org/wormcomp61.html

Three Most Interesting Points:

1.       This is, without a doubt, the most adorable method of composting. I’m imagining little partying worms right now. 

Also little soldier Worms. But that’s something else entirely.

      In elementary school, we were given a cursory introduction to worm composting (in a nutshell, everyone learned that dirt was worm poop and no one wanted to go into the forest during recess for about a day), and aside from bringing back fond memories, the article also gives great, more in-depth, and very specific information. Such as, uh, I probably shouldn’t have taken the earthworms from the sidewalk as a kid and snuck them into the compost bin at school, because, chances are, they weren’t the ones that are recommended for use.¹

2.       I enjoy that, in essence, this is as much an article on Worm Composting as it is an article on Keeping Pet Worms. After an enlightening conversation about how evil cats (and pets in general) were and how much they were an ecological burden, it seems to me that worms might be a good compromise for me.²

3.       The final section of the article mentions that we are humanly responsible for the worms’ well-being should we remove the worms from their natural habitat. Further up, it mentions keeping flies out with some friendly spiders. 

Presumably all named “Charlotte”.

      It struck a chord: how amazing is the balance in nature, and how inadequate even our best man-made systems seem in comparison! In our own controlled worm environments, too much food will cause a stink, or conditions that aren’t right will throw a wrench in your entire operation, one that can’t be fixed unless you start over entirely. We’re inflexible and delicate, like brittle glass.

But Mother Nature rolls with the punches. Oh, she rolls with all the punches; it’s not like you’ll find a place where life doesn’t somehow thrive: even in Chernobyl, there’s a fungus that’s somehow living happily off of the radiation. Whether one believes in evolution, intelligent design, or both, to be reminded of how intricate the great outdoors is … well, it’s pretty incredible.

Question: Do these worms lives in all climates? Are there different worms for different climates?

To Look For: Worms; maybe not specifically in the school garden, but at the stables at the end of my street too.

¹ I plead ignorance.

² Subtext: you have ruined kittens and puppies for me forever, sir. I cannot get a pet in good conscience now. I am not exactly thrilled.