Nope, not about weddings.
We needed some good dirt and since a traditional outside compost pile is not in the cards for us right now, we do still have options. Yes, I am talking about worms. O' delightful and easy-peasy worms! Building our own worm composting bin was amazingly simple and fun. First we read and researched all about worms. Taking note about the little things. Worms need grit to digest their food (our kitchen waste). Worms like moisture, not wetness. Paper shredding on top eliminates fruit flys and odors. I read some online how-tos.
We harvested our own worms first (from our backyard) but realized that these were not the right kind of worms, which meant that they wouldn't thrive in a closed-box environment. (Which they didn't, sadly, I killed them) So I purchased some. I went to FindWorms.com and found a semi-local worm farm and ordered a pound of lovely, lively, red worms from them. They came in this cute little box and bag.
Since we anticipated their arrival, we made them the perfect worm condo. Rubbermaid totes. We started inside our own house looking for a container to house the worms, but all of our plastic totes were either too large or clear. So we decided to invest in some new totes. I checked out Target, Ikea and online. I finally found these 15 gallon Rubbermaid totes at my local Kroger. Not too big, made in America, less-expensive then Ikea and opaque. Perfect. Why two? When the top bin is filled with usable compost, you lure the worms into the bottom bin by filling it up with your kitchen scraps. Apparently they wiggle themselves through the drainage-air holes searching for food. Once they have migrated to the bottom tote, you remove the top, use the dirt and replace it to the bottom. Starting the cycle all over. We drilled holes in the bottoms and lower sides of both bins. We also drilled holes in one of the lids. The other lid is what the whole thing sits on, catching any drainage.
I, ahem, I mean the kids loved getting them out and putting them into their new home. The bin contained about a week's worth of kitchen waste, four cups of dirt and a three inch thick layer of shredded important documents. I misted the whole mess with water and hoped that would be good enough. Then added some more shredded paper on top to fill the void and help soak up excess water.
So far the worms are doing great. I haven't had any sneak out of the box and the they look healthy and wiggly every time we check on them. We keep a bowl on our counter for food collection and the kids have enjoyed "feeding" them.
These kids had no fear. Worms everywhere. Yes, they washed their hands.
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