The Nibbana Family

A Squirm O' Worms, Part 1

posted by Kelsi on June 12, 2008 4:17 PM under Natural Family Living

Living in a condo keeps you from doing a lot of environmentally friendly things you might do if you lived in a house.  One of those things is composting.  Lately, I have learned about composting that I can do here, even though I am in a living space without a yard.  I will soon begin to compost my kitchen scraps by vermicomposting.  Vermicomposting is a large, unsightly word that describes the method of breaking down organic matter into dirt using worms.  It is well-suited to small spaces where it may not be possible to have a typical compost bin.

While it is possible to vermicompost using buckets or totes, I am planning on buying a worm factory.   A worm factory is a nifty contraption that allows the worms to move upward as they create "black gold" soil (see "continuous vertical flow" here).  I am hoping to cut our trash down to a minimum and feed the worms!  The worms run around $25 for a pound of red wigglers, which I am told is the best compositing variety.  I'm going to spend the next week shopping around before I buy, and I will post what I purchase and where in Post 2.

Happy Composting!