AFRICAN NIGHT CRAWLERS  (Eudrillus Eugeniae)

African Night Crawlers lay eggs at about the same rate as the Reds but take 2 weeks to hatch.
They take 2 months to mature and start to reproduce. They are also about 3 times longer and thicker than the Red Wrigglers and only take up to 6 to 8 weeks to reach 150mm to 200mm long.
Africans live for about 2 years.

They are the worm of choice for home composters who love fishing. They can eat up to 3 times more organic material than Red Wrigglers

We got ours from : www.briansworms.com

INDIAN BLUES/BLUEYS (Perionyx Excavatus)
Also known as Spenceralia, an Australian native, this worm species is the fastest breeding worm in general composting use (1 worm will produce 18 worms per week under ideal conditions). This worm also eats faster than any other worm we have come across. If you want to convert organic waste into worm compost in as short a time as possible, then you can't beat this worm. On the downside this worm prefers warmer climates and is likely to crawl from its bedding if conditions are not right for it. The Indians can grow up to 150mm long.

We got ours from : ww.kookaburrawormfarms.com.au

image : www.goodlifepermaculture.com.au

Worm farming is great way to reduce your waste and turn your food scraps into an awesome soil improver and plant fertilizer.   Fun and fascinating!
For information on worm farming, read our previous blog entry :
http://futurefeeders.weebly.com/our-blog/worm-farming-the-new-black-gold

If your going to start your own worm farm here is a handy list.

Do Feed:  

· Fruit Waste - Non Citrus (Apples, grapes, bananas, plums, peaches, pumpkin) 
· Vegetable Waste (carrots, lettuce, beans, peas, limited amounts of potatoes, leaf vegetables) 
· Egg shells - In moderation and best when crushed up a bit. 
· Coffee Grounds (Filters too) - An excellent worm food, but again in moderation 
· Tree leaves - Yes in moderation, stick to common species, avoid exotic tree leaves 
· Cardboard - Yes, shredded cardboard doubles as food and bedding. 
· Garden Waste - Bean stalks, pea vines, beet tops, 
· Starchy- Yes in moderations (Pasta, potatoes, rice, grains) 
· Aged animal manure - Yes, it's best to stick with horse manure in the beginning. 

Do Not Feed: 

· Citrus fruit 
· Meat products 
· Dairy waste 
· Cooking oil or grease 
· Human waste 
· Pet waste 

Last Thursday night the Future Feeders contingent travelled to Brisbane for an exciting event called Speed Seed Dating (graciously hosted by The Goodness Inc).  The idea is to pair up "changemakers" (that's people like us) with people who have the resources to make things happen. Genius!

We arrived with few expectations but pinned our hopes on raising $50 000 to go towards our market garden. The two hour event whizzed by in a blur of friendly faces, eager investors and newly sparked connections that we're continuing to explore. 

Via this platform we've also launched our crowdfunding campaign. That's where you come in. 

Let's cut to the chase: We need some cash if we're really going to get this thing going and we've got 25 days left to reach $50 000. 

We know we have our work cut out for us and we can't do it alone! We're talking about the future of food here! We're talking about a new generation of young people who are armed with the knowledge and skills they require to ethically produce food. We're talking about dynamic young farmers who see the need for an ecological approach to agriculture and want to lead the way with a new system. 

We have the land, we have the man (and woman!) power and we have the energy. Now we need some funds.

We're ready to step up but we need your support. 

If you need more convincing please get in touch, we'd love any excuse to talk about the importance of the future of food!

futurefeeders[@]gmail.com