I’ve Got Worms!

In our ongoing efforts to participate in and add to the Circle of Life, Ashlee and I have begun our foray into vermicomposting.  To-day I received the 1,000 red wigglers I ordered on-line from South Carolina and we began the Worm Wrangling-o-Rama at Covenanter Ranch. 

Here is how it will work: We will feed our kitchen waste (our lack of garbage disposal means nothing now) to the worms who turn it into castings (OK, worm poop) which is a fantastic–and virtually free–fertiliser.  We will use the castings to fertilise our garden which, due to lack of soil nutrients, has always petered out rather quickly each year.  In addition, because the worms double in population every month, I will have free, protein-rich food to feed to my chickens.  IN TURN, the chickens (at least the Rhode Island Reds and Barred Rocks) will supply us with eggs that we will 1) eat and 2) sell to our friends.  (Mmmm….farm fresh eggs!)  Likewise, the worms will fatten up the Cornish X Rocks that will become giant, juicy roasters to set our table–and sell some to friends!  AND, to top it all off, the fertilised garden should produce a surplus that will not only feed us fresh vegetables but–again–we should (Lord willing) have enough to sell (cheaply!) to friends.

Voila!  The Circle of Life.  (Ain’t God’s design amazing?!)

Here is a bit of what has gone into this little operation of late:

 

Cheap (or is it ‘cheep’?) Chicken Coop Step #1: Frame up an old cattle panel using 2×4’s and staples.

 

Step #2: Put the support boards in place.

 

Step #3: Gingerly–oh, so gingerly–nail and wire-in the chicken wire.

 

Step #4-6.5: Frame and hang the door and tie down the tarp to keep the rain out.

 

Next Step: Frame the Hen Boxes (They gotta lay their eggs somewhere!)

 

 

(The bar on top will serve as the roost–where they’ll sleep–and the slat on the bottom should prevent the eggs from rolling out of the box.)

 

Here are the little chicks getting some sun (which they need to synthesise the all-important Vitamin D).

 

Now–THE WORMS!! 

 

First, you put in some bedding, which the worms will live in and eventually eat.  In this case, we added some wood shavings and hay.

 

Then, you add the…worms!

 

Then, you let them go to work!  (While periodically adding tomato tops, salad leftovers, beans, coffee grounds–and filters–and many other wonderful things you usually throw away.)  I’ll let you know how things proceed in a few weeks or months.

I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE YUMMY PHOTOGRAPHS!