project. Our worm farm consists of a cedar box approx. 36” x 36” x 6” deep. The size

was determined by the size of left over lumber we had. The bottom is a piece of

landscape fabric stapled to the sides. The top cover is also a piece of landscape fabric

stapled to pieces of 2”x2” cedar to hold it in place. We purchased a package of red

wriggler compost worms and placed them in the box along with finely ground wood (

the leavings from a stump grinder) and compost mixed together (bedding). About once

a week we bury kitchen scraps (no meat or dairy) including vegetable trimmings, egg

shells, moldy bread, paper towels, coffee grounds and filters (we use filters and towels

made from recycled paper). The scraps, are broken down by the micro-organisms in

the compost and wood such as bacteria and fungi (mold). The worms ingest the

decomposed scraps and micro-organisms and convert them into molecules that can be

used by plants. The worms excrete waste products which we call “worm castings”.

Once the bedding and scraps have been broken down and consumed by the soil food

web the worms can be separated from the castings and the castings applied to the

garden or used in potting mix. This process will take several months. Note that

compost worms are not cold hardy so we plan to bring them inside during the winter to

continue the process. We use 2 buckets nested inside one another for our kitchen

worm farm. The top bucket has holes drilled in the bottom to allow liquids to drain into

the lower bucket to prevent anaerobic conditions from occurring. As long as you pour

out the liquid regularly and avoid anaerobic conditions there is no offensive smell.

RESOURCES : http://vermitechnology.com

                            http://www.wormdigest.org/