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The Worm Farmer's Handbook: Mid- to Large-Scale Vermicomposting for Farms, Businesses, Municipalities, Schools, and Institutions
Abstract
Techniques and systems for processing food scraps, manure, yard debris, paper, and more. Turning waste into wealth sounds too good to be true, but many worm farmers are finding that vermicomposting is a reliable way to do just that. Vermicast—a biologically active, nutrient-rich mix of earthworm castings and decomposed organic matter—sells for 30 a cubic yard, and you’ll see why vermicomposting has taken root in most countries and on every continent but Antarctica.
Vermicomposting is also one of the best sustainable solutions for organic waste management. Vermicomposting manure and crop wastes on farms improves crop yields while reducing demand for off-farm inputs. Vermicast has higher nutrient levels and lower soluble salt content than regular compost, and it improves soil aeration, porosity, and water retention. Plus, vermicast suppresses plant diseases and insect attacks. Municipalities, businesses, community gardens, schools, and universities can set up vermicomposting operations to process food residuals and other waste materials.
The Worm Farmer’s Handbook details the ins and outs of vermicomposting for mid- to large-scale operations, including how to recycle organic materials ranging from food wastes and yard trimmings to manure and shredded office paper. Vermicomposting expert Rhonda Sherman shares what she has learned over twenty-five years working with commercial worm growers and researchers around the world. Her profiles of successful worm growers across the United States and from New Zealand to the Middle East and Europe describe their proven methods and systems.
This book digs into all the details, including:
Choosing the right production system
Regulatory issues and developing a business and marketing plan
Finding and managing feedstocks
Pre-composting: why and how to do it
Monitoring an active worm bed
Harvesting, screening, testing, packaging, and storing vermicast
Markets for earthworms and vermicast
Food security: how vermicast benefits soils and plants
Keys to success: avoiding common pitfalls
From livestock farms and restaurants to colleges, military bases, and prisons, Sherman details why and how commercial-scale vermicomposting is a fast-growing, sustainable solution for organic waste management. The Worm Farmer’s Handbook is the first and only authoritative how-to guide that goes beyond small-scale operations and demystifies the science and logistics of the fascinating process that is vermicomposting.
... In vermiculture, this capacity is utilized to recycle organic wastes and produce vermicompost, a high-quality organic fertilizer (Rehman et al., 2023). Optimal culture conditions for earthworms are well established (Edwards and Dominguez, 2011;Lowe et al., 2023) and employed worldwide in vermiculture systems ranging from low-tech to industrial scale (Sherman, 2018). These systems are generally based on litter-dwelling (epigeic) earthworms (Lowe et al., 2023), which consume decomposing organic materials, as opposed to endogeic and anecic earthworms, which live in and primarily consume mineral soil with associated decomposed organic matter (Bouché, 1977). ...
... Accordingly, the majority of the wild earthworms are soil-dwellers, which can be expected to have more mineral particles in their gut than litterdwelling species. Furthermore, farmed earthworms are usually fed with energy-and nitrogen-rich organic materials including manure, fruit and vegetable waste, or kitchen waste (Sherman, 2018), while wild earthworms typically consume feed of lower quality. Hence, better nitrogen and energy availability in the feed and less energy expenditure may contribute to higher protein and fat contents observed in farmed earthworms. ...
... García et al. (2009) found variations of crude protein content in Eisenia spp. of up to 7% DM, which is notable considering the small differences in the feed mixes used by the authors. While diet appears to have limited effects on the nutritional composition of E. fetida, it is known as a key factor for productivity in vermiculture (Edwards et al., 2011;Sherman, 2018). Further studies should investigate the feed preferences of commonly farmed earthworm species so that they can transform organic residual streams to edible protein most efficiently. ...
Sustainable food system innovations are urgently needed to feed a growing human population while staying within planetary boundaries. Farmed edible insects have received considerable scientific and public attention due to their potential to improve food system circularity by upcycling nutrients from organic residual streams to nutritious food. Earthworms, as non-insect invertebrates, have remained largely unrecognized in the future foods debate. However, they are already widely farmed at industrial scale for their capacity to recycle organic wastes and improve soil fertility. We conducted a systematic literature review to provide a quantitative basis on earthworm nutritional composition, thereby positioning earthworms in the future foods debate. Here we show, based on evidence from 142 scientific studies, that farmed earthworms are a potentially interesting food source. They have an attractive nutrient composition compared to the main farmed edible insect species, being especially rich in protein, low in fat and containing a favourable profile of essential amino acids. The content of important fatty acids, minerals and vitamins in earthworm biomass is higher or lower than in edible insects, depending on the feed material. Crude protein and fat contents are higher in farmed versus wild earthworms, indicating that farming conditions provide a lever for further improving the nutritional composition of earthworm biomass. Whether earthworm species or feed materials affect earthworm nutritional composition could not be finally clarified based on the available data. We conclude that earthworms have high potential as a future food from a nutritional perspective, mainly as an alternative source of protein. The integration of earthworm farming in future food systems can be expected to improve sustainability and circularity, potentially giving earthworms an advantage over edible insects.
... These earthworm live, feed, and mate all within the top layer of organic matter, and will reproduce exponentially given optimal temperatures, moisture, and feed. Vermiculture and vermicompost businesses overwhelming rely on the red wiggler (Sherman, 2018). Perhaps the most famous red wiggler farmer in history is Hugh Carter, cousin to President Jimmy Carter. ...
... Simple setups like this continue today, although most red wriggler farms-and there are many-are highly capitalized with industrial equipment such as conveyor belts, mechanized "continuous flow-through beds," and truck-sized tumblers. Such farms are capable of efficiently producing hundreds of millions of worms with very few employees (Sherman, 2018). ...
Each year, 500 to 700 million dew worms are sold from thousands of gas stations, convenience stores, big box retailers, making this particular species, Lumbricus terrestris, the most popular live bait for recreational freshwater fisherman across North America. In fishing parlance, these effective bait worms are referred to as “Canadian Nightcrawlers,” not because they are native to the region (they are not) or because they cannot be found elsewhere (they can), but because the entire global supply comes from a stretch of rural land between Toronto and Windsor in Ontario, Canada. How did this simple garden worm become a valuable commodity, and why is production relegated to one single region in the world? In this paper, I rely on newspaper archives and key informant interviews to construct a “capitalist commodification story” that explain why demand for Canadian Nightcrawlers emerged in North America, why the production of nightcrawlers is relegated to southwestern Ontario, and how this lowly living, breathing, squirming creature beneath our feet became a capitalist commodity producing value through competitive markets. In sum, I argue L. terrestris became a capitalist commodity when burgeoning demand from a new class of recreational fishermen increased competition between nightcrawler suppliers. The inability of capital to take hold of the ecological conditions of nightcrawler production relegated the most productive producers to southwestern Ontario who had the contingent privileges of useful soils combined and cheap and efficient labor. The materiality of L. terrestris physiology is thus constitutive of how capital seeks to accumulate surplus value in a peculiar industry. At the same time, this research shows that no matter how peculiar or banal a commodity may be capitalist logics are constantly experimenting with heterogenous peoples and environments to find a way to increase productivity and accumulate surplus value through market exchange.
... Одним із прогресивних та перспективних напрямів ведення аграрного виробництва, що забезпечує підвищення продуктивності, екологічної стійкості та саморегуляційної здатності агроекосистем є вермитехнологія, яка включає виробництво вермикультури, вермигумусу та продуктів його перероблювання [1,2]. Вермитехнологія містить значну кількість різноманітних способів і методів [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]. ...
An important strategy for diversifying agricultural production is the use of vermicomposting and the production of new products from vermicompostfor their further widespread use. Objective. To investigate the effectiveness of the use of vermicompost and the biological product ‘Nanoverm’ obtained from it as a high-quality complex environmentally friendly organic fertiliser for application to grain crops. Methods. The research was conducted at LIGA COLAP LLC, the Department of General and Applied Ecology and Zoology of Zaporizhzhia National University (Zaporizhzhia) and farms of the Vilnyansky and Orikhivsky districts of Zaporizhzhia region in two stages. At the first stage, the effect of vermicompost at a dose of 1.0-1.5 l/t and Nanoverm at a dose of 1.0-1.5 l/t on the first stages of winter wheat ontogeny of Podolyanka variety was studied. At the second stage, the effect of the biological product ‘Nanoverm’ on the formation of biometric growth parameters and yield of winter wheat was studied. Plants of the control group were grown without fertilizers, and the experimental group was treated with Nanoverm biofertilizer at a dose of 1.5 l/t. Results. It was found that pre-sowing treatment of winter wheat seeds with vermicompost provided an increase in seed germination energy by 3.7-4.0 % compared to the control, and laboratory germination by 5.3 %. When seeds were treated with Nanoverm biological product at a dose of 1 l/t, germination energy increased by 4.7 %, and laboratory germination increased by 6.0 %. With an increase in the dose of the preparation to 1.5 l/t, these indicators increased by 5.0 and 7.3 %, respectively. Pre-sowing treatment of seeds with the studied preparations also had a positive effect on such indicators as the length of the coleoptile and roots of winter wheat seedlings. The analysis of biometric parameters of winter wheat growth and yield after harvesting showed that in the experimental variant, such indicators as grain weight, number of grains per ear and yield were significantly higher. With almost the same plant height and a slight increase in the length of the ear, the stimulating effect of feeding winter wheat in the earing phase with Nanoverm was expressed in an increase in the number of grains per ear by 15.3 %, and the weight of grain per ear by 22.2 % (p<0.001). As a result, the grain yield in the experimental group was 8.3 c/ha higher than in the control group (p<0.001). Conclusions. It was found that pre-sowing treatment of seeds with vermigum or biological product ‘Nanoverm ’ improves all the indicators that characterise the first stages of ontogeny of winter wheat variety Podolyanka. Fertilising winter wheat in the earing phase with Nanoverm at a dose of 1.5 l/ha led to the activation ofgrowth processes and contributed to the formation of higher productivity. As a result of a significant increase in the number and weight of grains in the ear, the yield increased by 22.3 % and amounted to 47.2 c/ha. Keywords: california worms, vermicompost, Nanoverm, winter wheat, Podolianka, growth, yield.
... There are various reasons for farming earthworms, such as bait for fishing or to sell to others, to control livestock manure or crop residues on farms, to process food scraps gathered on-site, to make vermicast to produce healthier food, or to generate an income from vermicomposting (Sherman, 2018). ...
This study explored the relationship between food waste, food insecurity and dietary diversity. The discovery is that more food waste is practised in rural areas than in urban areas. factors determining food insecurity and dietary diversity are cooking with electricity, cooking with an open fire, and cooking with gas. People mostly give food waste to the animals. Consumer behaviour is one major contributor to household food waste. These all show that more education is needed
... The garden soil (G) is also added in this treatment and river sand (S) which adds porosity for easy water and air movement. The treatment VCGS has a combination of vermicast (VC) which enhances the rate of seedling growth, increases root numbers and biomass, improves root stress tolerance (Chelsea Green Publishing, n.d.), and has soil aeration, porosity, and water retention (Sherman, 2018). The vermicast contains 1.5%-2.5% N, 1.25%-2.25% ...
The fuji apple seedling is one of the varieties of an apple that can withstand tropical conditions. In the Philippines, no apple production despite of high consumption and demand. This study aimed to determine the seedling vigor of fuji apple on different soil pot mixes under polyhouse conditions. The study was conducted at the Plant Science Area, College of Agriculture, Mindanao State University Main Campus, Marawi City for 1 month and 17 days duration. The treatments were: Garden soil + sand (GS) a ratio of 1:1 (control); Bokashi (BK) a fermented organic matter; Cocopeat + garden soil + sand (CPGS) a ratio of 1:1:1; Vermicast + garden soil + sand (VCGS) a ratio of 1:1:1; and Rice hull + vermicast + garden soil + sand (RVGS) a ratio of 1:1:1:1. The experiment was laid out using Randomized Complete Block Design with four replicates. Depending on these results, it can be suggested that treatment CPGS could be used to fuji apple seedlings in a pot under polyhouse conditions. The treatment BK showed the lowest result on all parameters. However, it is recommended to conduct a further study on the bokashi by adding soil to assess the effect on the growth and development of fuji apple seedling.
... Earthworms are classified into three based on their behavior and habitat (Sherman, 2018). The first classifications are the Anecic (Greek for "out of the earth"). ...
In response to the posing threat of chemically produced crops using synthetic fertilizers for human consumption, organic farming using earthworms in composting has resorted. This study is carried out to determine the effects of locally available substrates on the reproduction rate of earthworms and the NPK content of its castings. It was laid out with seven treatments replicated three times in Completely Randomized Design. Treatments used were 75% goat manure plus 25% of various substrates such as banana leaves, grass clippings, rice straw, legume leaves, cassava leaves, banana bracts, and sawdust. They were shredded, partially decomposed, transferred to the beds for earthworm feeding, and harvested after 45 days. The castings were collected, separated from the biomass, weighed, and were sent for laboratory analysis. The highest reproduction rate of earthworm biomass was in Treatments with sawdust and legume leaves. Treatments with banana bracts and legume leaves had significantly higher Nitrogen and Phosphorous. Higher Potassium content was noted in treatments with sawdust and legume leaves. It is recommended to use 75% goat manure and a combination of legumes leaves and sawdust for a higher rate of reproduction of vermi biomass and higher contents of Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potassium (NPK) in the castings.
... Earthworms are classified into three based on their behavior and habitat (Sherman, 2018). The first classifications are the Anecic (Greek for "out of the earth"). ...
The Completely Randomized Design was used in the study. There were seven (7) treatments that were replicated three (3) times, making a total of 21 experimental plots or vermi beds. Plots were randomized using the randomization procedure of CRD. The farm wastes available in the locality were used as a substrate for the production of vermi added with goat manure in the following specific combinations;
T1 - 75% goat manure + 25% banana leaves;
T2 - 75% goat manure + 25% grass clippings;
T3- 75% goat manure + 25% rice straw;
T4- 75% goat manure + 25% legume leaves;
T5- 75% goat manure + 25% cassava leaves;
T6- 75% goat manure + 25% banana bracts;
T7 - 75% goat manure + 25% saw dust.
Invasive earthworms create widespread ecological changes after they are introduced. Non-native earthworms are transported mainly through anthropogenically-mediated activities, including fishing, agriculture, horticulture, and development. Here, we review the ways in which non-native earthworms are transported to new environments. Our conceptual framework involves invasion filters (human activities filter and climate & edaphic filter) that constrain which non-native earthworm species are transported within specific contexts. Differences in earthworms’ ecological behaviors, life cycle, and physiological tolerance of environmental conditions influence which species are transported and which regions can successfully be invaded. Within the human activities filter, we utilize the six invasion pathways that follow a continuum of human intention as laid out by Hulme et al. (J Appl Ecol 45(2):403–414, 2008). Five of these pathways are associated with human activity. Of these, the release, escape, and contaminant pathways are associated with commodities, and the stowaway plus corridor pathways with transportation infrastructure. Major human activities that transport invasive earthworms include the discarding of fishing bait, agriculture, composting and horticulture, and development (e.g., the construction of roads, trails, houses, or campgrounds), but the magnitudes that specific activities transport earthworms are vastly understudied. We conclude that more research needs to be conducted to understand the methods that transport non-native earthworms in order to slow their spread.
Producing of safe food from alkaline sandy soils under high rates of chemical fertilization is a serious concern in Egypt. Compost and vermicompost can improve soil fertility and crop production, but their application has not been well evaluated in zucchini ( Cucurbita pepo L.) cultivation. This study aimed to determine the effects of compost and vermicompost on the yield, nutrient uptake of zucchini as well as on soil properties under field conditions. Four fertilization treatments, including a control without fertilization (CO), chemical fertilizer (CF), compost (CT), and vermicompost (VC) were arranged in a randomized complete block design with five replications. The results showed that CT and VC application significantly increased the yield of zucchini by 17 and 53%, respectively, in comparison with CF treatment. In addition, CT and VC treatments significantly increased the soil organic matter, soil availability of NPK compared with those in the CO and CF treatments. The application of the CT and VC amendments increased the N, P and K uptake significantly as compared to the CO and CF treatments. The highest values of N, P and K use efficiency were found in the CT treatment. The highly significant and positive correlation was found among different soil properties and zucchini traits. CT and VC are crucial for increasing productivity, improving fruit quality, and yield of zucchini fruit and can be used as an alternative to chemical fertilizers for zucchini cultivation.
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