Why Worms are Good for the Earth and Your Wallet

Celebrate Earth Day Every Day by Learning All About the Benefits of Worms

On our Instagram page, I have a video about why we need to start composting with worms to try and change the direction our world is going. It may not seem like much when just one person gets into vermicomposting, but if many do, it can make a big impact on our world and how we view it.

Food Waste Management

Here's some food for thought- the United States throws away approximately 108 billion pounds of food waste each year. We can all do a small part by stopping overconsumption of food and start meal planning, or by having a compost bin or worm farm to help prevent food waste. When food waste goes into landfills, it releases methane gas and raises our carbon footprint. Instead, we could be converting that waste into compost or vermicompost that we can then use in the production of more food instead of letting it turn into a harmful gas. 

Another great side effect of composting your food is it gives you more room in your trash! We noticed that by eliminating almost all of our food waste, we were changing trash bags once a week, sometimes even every other week. That means there's less plastic going into the landfill, and more money going into your pocket.  

Believe me, it can feel like you're not doing much in the grand scheme of things, but if I can get 50 people to start composting, and some of those can get their friends to start composting, that number will continue to grow and grow until it snowballs. Eventually, it will become the standard to have a compost pile or worm farm to turn that food waste into black gold!

Human Waste Composting

There are studies going right now that are working on using worms for human manure as well. Red wiggler worms, which are the types of worms we use here at the wormery, can be added to grey water tanks or a composting toilet. The worms will then help break down human excrement within the tank! When using worms in this manner though, it's crucial to avoid adding any harmful chemicals to your grey water system, or it can kill the worms. 

Natural Growing Practices

The worms also help the earth with the castings they produce. By using the worm castings to condition soil, you're eliminating the need to use chemical pesticides. These chemicals usually produce run-off which contaminates our rivers and other bodies of water. They also degrade the life of soil, turning it into lifeless dirt. Since worm castings act as an all-natural pesticide and soil amender, it's the perfect quality of life addition to all soils.

Soil Conditioning and Plant Health

Arguably though, one of the best things worms do for the earth is provide nutrient rich, all natural castings. These worm castings, also known as vermicompost, is produced by different composting worms. By adding worm castings directly onto plants or into existing soil and dirt, you're amending, or conditioning, that soil. That means you're adding in tons of microscopic organisms and bacteria that are filled with benefits for plants! The worm castings also help with water retention in soil, leading to overall less water consumption. This can be great for climates that have drier conditions where water is more of a scarcity. You don't want to exceed 15-20% castings in your soil, though. After that, you're just wasting it.

Adding worm castings to your plants and soil will also improve your plants overall health and happiness! They help with plant growth, production, and health. Since it's all natural, you don't have to worry about adding chemicals. There's also a process in which we turn the castings into worm tea, which is a type of liquid nutrients. When applied to plants, the liquid nutrients act as an all-natural pesticide and insecticide by creating a protective barrier. It also helps with sun scorching too!