Can worms spread harmful bacteria such as ecoli and salmonella?

Posted on November 8, 2011 by Ludovic Bourdon

Worms themselves are not hosts for pathogens, but the materials they live in and consume CAN contain various disease-causing organisms. Thus caution is certainly warranted when using materials such as manure and sewage sludge, which can both contain high levels of pathogens.

Not only are worms not pathogen-infested organisms, but there is actually a growing body of evidence to suggest that worms (specifically composting worms) can actually significantly reduce populations of pathogens in waste materials. Continue reading →

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Indoor kelowna Farmer’s market

Posted on November 8, 2011 by Ludovic Bourdon

Hi everybody,

At the beginning of November, the Kelowna farmer’s market is going to move inside. You will be able to find your fresh product and craft at the Parkinson Recreation Center every Saturday, all winter long from 9am to 1pm, until the end of Marsh.

The market indoor being significantly smaller, I was able to get only 2 dates so far:

-November 5th, 2011

-December 3rd, 2011

As always you welcome to call (250-864-4213) to book your vermicompost needs or order on line over the winter. We will be happy to ship to you.

Ludovic

 

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Composting biodegradable diapers with worms

Posted on November 8, 2011 by Ludovic Bourdon

Hi,

I was wondering if you would recommend your worm farms to help compost biodegradable diapers?

Have you or any of your customers tried this and if so what have your experiences been? Is this something you would recommend doing and what would be the main things to look out for?

Any help you could give would be very much appreciated.

Thanks,
Derek Continue reading →

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How should I be feeding my worms and how long it takes for the food to start breaking down?

Posted on October 11, 2011 by Ludovic Bourdon

Hi, I just started a worm farm with my son. We are using 18 gal Rubbermaid bin and followed the directions on your web. We have been at it for 4 wks and I think things are going well, but I am confused as to how much I should be feeding the worms and how long it takes for it to start breaking down? We are planning on using the castings for our garden. Thanks,” ~ Kristina T. Continue reading →

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When setting up a worm composting bin, what is the ratio of soil/lime/bedding to use?

Posted on October 11, 2011 by Ludovic Bourdon

 

To be totally honest, when setting up a new system I won’t even add soil or lime. In my humble opinion neither of these is really needed in a worm bed at all, and IF used, should be added rather sparingly. Continue reading →

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Setting up a worm bin, using the bin ‘aging’ method

Posted on October 11, 2011 by Ludovic Bourdon

Let’s look at a basic setup of a worm bin/bed using the bin ‘aging’ method, something which we highly recommend for a much better chance of success.

When setting up a new worm farming system or small home bin it’s always important to keep in mind the fact that you are creating (or at least attempting to create) and ideal habitat for your worms. While these creatures are certainly forgiving compared to a lot of other ‘pets’, they do still have some important requirements – moisture, oxygen, warmth, some sort of bedding, and of course a ‘food’ source. Continue reading →

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Will a worm farm work to recycle dog excrement?

Posted on October 5, 2011 by Ludovic Bourdon

Generally speaking, dog and cat feces should not be used as a worm food source or in a compost heap. Both have the tendency to be difficult to work with (strong unpleasant odor etc), but even more importantly they can create health hazards for humans. Continue reading →

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Techniques to help speed up the decomposition of food materials for your worms.

Posted on October 5, 2011 by Ludovic Bourdon

“I am experimenting with recycled news paper sludge from work as bedding/feed. The worms seem to be happy in it, but the green food seems to take a long time to break down. Chunks of lettuce are still crisp after three weeks. Is there any way to speed up how fast food breaks down?” ~ Justin Houghtelling Continue reading →

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World of Worms at the Organic Okanagan Festival, Kelowna

Posted on September 3, 2011 by Ludovic Bourdon

Hi everybody,

If you want to see how a fully set up vermicompost looks like in front of you or if you just want to talk “worms” and you don’t have anybody to do this with! Come visit me at the Organic Okanagan Festival (OOF) on Sunday September 18, 2011 from 11:00 am – 5:00 pm . My booth will be set up at the Center for Learning at Okanagan College, 1000 KLO Road, Kelowna.

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a link to the Festival

6th Annual 2011 Organic Okanagan Festival

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Chemical side of worm casting

Posted on August 15, 2011 by Ludovic Bourdon

I do realize that the chemical and microbial content of each and every worm farm would be different and I am sure everyone accepts that, but as a general guideline what is the norm for worm casting. I myself have had a few bad experiences, like planting a pot plant into pure worm castings with great expectations as I thought this was the best stuff in the whole wide world, the plant did not do well at all, even with potting soil 50:50 mixture no fireworks. I am sure you have heard many such stories. My point being please points us with a general rule of thumb to follow using our worm farm harvests. Thanks” ~ Kevin Elphinstone Continue reading →

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