English as a Second Language

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Worm Farm Facts

• Vermiculture is the raising of earthworms under a
  controlled environment
• Vermicomposting is the process of recycling
  material into something very useful, by using
  worms.

What a good feeling to find out that theres a
way to change what we think of as totally
useless into something VERY useful and it has
been under our feet since the beginning of
time.
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Worm Facts
Worms are part of the animal kingdom These are
called Eisenia Fetida but you may know them
as ? Red Worm ? Tiger Worm ? Red
Wiggler
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Worm Facts
Worms have rings called segments. When
worms are fully grown, they have between 120-170
segments.
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Worm Facts
Worms use muscles and tiny hairs called setae
to move.
Setae act like the brakes on a car, helping the
worm to slow down or stop. Some muscles go in
circles around the body and other muscles run the
length of the body. The movement of circular
muscles squeezes the front end forward. Other
long muscles squeeze together and help move the
rear end of the body towards the front end. This
creates forwards and backwards movement.
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Worm Facts
Worms have NO teeth They cannot really chew
their food like you do.
They have a gizzard inside, close to their mouth,
similar to birds such as a chicken. As food is
eaten, some grains of sand and soil enter the
worms gizzard. These grains of sand and soil
then push against each other, mix with moisture,
and grind the food into tiny pieces (kind of like
their very own personal food processors).
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Worm Facts
Worms do not have lungs but breathe through their
skin
Oxygen is taken in through the skin and it goes
right into the bloodstream. Skin must stay wet
in order for the oxygen to pass through it. Too
much water will drown them. Keep worms damp,
moist and slimy.
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Worm Facts
Worms have very unique physical features Like 5
Hearts!
Also, worms are VERY sensitive to light They
have cells in the front of their body that
warns them of light. Because light hurts
them, they need to be in a dark place.
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Worm Farm Facts

• What will Worms Eat?
• Green Waste
• Grass clippings
• Produce waste from grocery stores
• Pumas from all fruit crops
• Coffee grounds-but not too much!
• Most Left over food from your school lunch

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Worm Farm Facts

• What will Worms Eat?
• Brown Waste
• Wood
• Sawdust
• Paper
• Leaves
• Corn cobs /shucks
• Crushed Egg Shells A little bit of Sand

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Worm Farm Facts

• What Not to Feed Worms !
• Even though worms will eat almost anything there
  are some things that are best to avoid
• No! Meat
• No! Oil like salad dressings
• No! Any kind of fat meat or vegetable
• NO!

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Worm Farm Facts

• What Does A Worm Produce
  With All That Eating?
• A very beneficial substance known as WORM
  CASTINGS! (AKA worm dirt worm manure or worm
  poop)
• Are Natures Natural Fertilizer-no chemicals
  needed!
• Provides nutrients (food) for plants
• Retains water for soil so plants can grown even
  when it doesnt rain!
• Helps plants resist diseases so they grow faster
  stronger
• Environmentally friendly - created from 100
  recycled materials
• Naturally insulates plant roots reduces soil
  erosion
• Breaks up hard clay soil so plants can grow
  faster bigger

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Worm Farm Facts

• How to Begin your Worm Farm
• Get a plastic bin fill it with shredded
  newspaper a small amount of compost,
  peat moss or dirt
• 2. Add worms
• 3. Start adding food scraps Up to 5 lbs. Per
  week
• Watch Them Go To WORK!

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Worm Farm Facts

• Building a Worm Farm
• What kind of container can I use?
• Plastic or wood container with a lid
• Small enough for you to handle but big enough for
  your worms (shoebox or larger)
• Ventilation is the key to success!
• Drill holes for drainage and air
• NEVER put the lid on tight!
• Container should be dark! Worms like it dark!

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Worm Farm Facts

• Prepare the Bedding
• Bedding holds moisture and provides air spaces
  for the worms.
• Shredded paper is a good choice for bedding,
  others are leaves, sawdust, or peat moss.
• Before placing bedding in the bin, be sure it is
  good and moist!
• Add a small amount of sand or crushed egg shells
  for grit.

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Worm Farm Facts

• Add the Worms!
• Red Worms
• Red Wigglers
• Manure Worms
• Night Crawlers WILL NOT survive in a worm bin!

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Worm Farm Facts

• Keep it Up!
• Keep an eye on the amount of food and adjust if
  needed.
• Keep it moist!
• If it is too moist, add more bedding.
• Running out of room? Time to harvest your worms!
• Remove the remaining contents of the bin
  (castings) use them on your houseplants,
  garden, yard, trees.
• Worms can double in population every 3 to 6
  months under the right conditions
• If they get too crowded they stop eating. So
  share some worms with a friend!

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Worm Farm Facts

• The DONTs!
• Dont feed the worms things that are not edible.
  (plastic, rubber bands, foil)
• Dont let you cat use it as a litter box!
• Dont spray bug spray near your bin!
• Dont use garden soil
• Dont use straight manure in your bin!

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Worm Farm Facts
Example Sign for your WORM BIN! My family and
friends are working every day to turn your waste
food into rich black humus. When its ready to
go into our raised beds the plants and flowers
will be so happy! We are the experts at
Vermicomposting!
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Worm Farm Facts
For a free copy of this Worm Farm Facts
Powerpoint, visit AWFs website at
http//alabamawildlife.org/conservation/?pageID2
9. For a free copy of our Worm Bin Box Project
Plan, visit AWFs website at http//alabamawildli
fe.org/conservation/?pageID115 .