What is Worm Juice?
Worm juice is the liquid that is produced by a working worm bin. It is a concentrated liquid fertilizer that is simial to "manure tea," and contains a large population of beneficial bacteria. We use worm juice to inoculate the bedding when we start new bins.
About Peat Moss
Peat moss is a local product, and thus uses up less transportation energy. It is very clean, and worms thrive in it.
According to peat moss expert, Tom Malter, of the University of Minnesota's Natural Resources Resource Institute in Duluth, Minnesota, peat moss takes 1,000 years to regenerate, BUT, there are about 2,000 acres being mined for peat in Minnesota. Each farm mines the same acreage for 35 years before moving to the next plot, and peat is acumulating between 50 and 70 times as fast as it is being harvested.
Laverme's Handbook of Indoor Worm Composting
Laverme's Handbook of Indoor Worm Composting was written by Ellen Sandbeck, who has set up hundreds of domestic and institutional worm bins (including a 100-foot-long worm bin at a Federal Prison Camp) and contains nearly two decades of worm composting experience rendered down into an easy-to-read 30 pages. It includes information about worm bin set-up, worm husbandry, worm feeding, recommended food and bedding materials, how to use worm compost and worm "juice," pest prevention, trouble shooting, and eatrhworm ecology and worm anatomy.
Why we use 1 pound for the 17-gallon bin and 1/2 pound for the 27 gallon bin
We have found that these quantities are optimal for safe shipping of the worms and the most efficient colonization of the bin. A smaller quantity of worms is not enough to facilitate a speedy start-up, and a larger quantity of worms is too much for a new bin.
Shipping Expectations Explained
We have unavoidable limits in our harvesting and shipping schedules.
We are dealing with live animals, and sometimes whe we have filled a lot of orders, we have to wait for a new generation to mature before we can harvest again.
We cannot safely ship live worms during very hot or cold weather
In order to avoid stranding our worms over a weekend, we only ship out in the beginning of the week.
Our primary focuses have always been research, education, and outreach. We want your worm bin to thrive. We are always trying to improve our customer service, and welcome your suggestions.
Black Strap Molasses
Black strap molasses feeds beneficial bacteria and helps get the bin off to a quick start.
Sand and Limestone
Worms have no teeth. Their food is ground up in their tiny gizzards. Sand is the grit for their gizzards.
Limestone provides calcium for the worms' calciferous glands. Without calcium, the worms cannot reproduce
