Worm farming the new black gold

The humble worm farm!   

In all shapes and sizes this miracle of organic technology is found in many a household.  Hidden in the gardens back corner this beacon of sustainability receives few of the merits it deserves.

At Future Feeders however we are super excited to have our worm farm going and we want you to know about it!  Today we installed our first or many - a modular bathtub design worm farm.  

After our recent call for bathtubs was answered with a delivery of tubs we have all been eager to get this project on the go and the worms into action.
As with all new projects, development offers the opportunity for learning and skills sharing so our Sunday session in the market garden proved to be the perfect time to get together and get worm farming.

A rummage around the community gardens integrated resource centre provided the necessary materials for the simplest of systems and so with little more than some 44gallon drums and old steel girders we had a sufficient platform to bear the weight and to mount the bathtubs at a practical height.  Its great when striping things back to their simplest form work so well - and costs us nothing!

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Once the foundations were there the next steps where just as simple and relevant to any worm farm design!

`1 : Wire mesh and shade cloth was laid over the plug hole and in the bath base to assist drainage
`2 : A layer of damp cardboard was put down first
`3 : Followed by a thick layer of hydrated coconut coir peat.
`4 : In finally go the worms
`5 : Covered thereafter with a good feed of kitchen scraps
`6 : and finally with layer of old carpet to keep them worm, dark and moist.

`7 : we covered the whole tub with a sheet of corrugated iron to keep excess rainwater out
`8 : and little more is needed to collect the 'worm-juice' than to leave a bucket under the hole

So from small things big things grow.  We plan now as the worm population establishes itself to expand into the other two tubs and then as we can, source more baths to continue to build our worm farm operations.

We are all excited about the prospects of having this amazing nutrient dense fertilizer available to feed our market garden with and having the fresh worm casts to add to our seed raising mix.

Simple pleasures from a simple system,  turning waste into a valuable resource!  


We will be looking for more baths so If you have one or more available please let us know.