A ‘Bag of Worms’ – In More Detail
August 19, 2009
My new Red Worm starter culture bags as compared to a ‘Compost Ecosystem’ bag (foreground)
***If you are interested in placing an order or have questions about my worm composting products, please send me an email.***
As I mentioned yesterday, I am no longer offering specific quantities of worms. Instead, I have decided to switch over to a ‘Red Worm Starter Culture’ approach, in an effort to keep the business up and running while I put my focus elsewhere for the next few months. My hope is to be able to bring back the smaller (specific) quantities in time for next spring, when I should be able to dedicate a lot more time to this endeavour.
In a lot of ways, I think this is still a win/win situation, since customers will be getting worms that have been handled (and stressed) a lot less, and packed with loads of great ‘compost ecosystem‘ material (containing plenty of baby worms and cocoons, along with other beneficial compost critters). Aside from being a great inoculum for your worm bin, compost ecosystem also has a lot of ‘habitat’ and ‘food’ value to help your worms get adjusted to their new home much more easily!
Just so you know, research has shown that each Red Worm cocoon, on average, releases three new worms, and as I’ve discovered via my own experimentation, baby Red Worms can grow to adulthood in a matter of a few weeks under the right conditions. In other words, aside from all the adult worms that are already included your starter culture, you should expect to see plenty more before too long!
So where does this worm-filled material come from?
The material selected for my starter culture bags will only come from highly productive worm beds. It will also typically be further concentrated to ensure that there will be lots of adult worms in the mix.
A typical hand-full of material (and worms) that will go into a starter culture bag (along with plenty more just like it)
I can’t guarantee any specific exact number of adult worms, or worm weight – but customer satisfaction is extremely important to me, so rest assured you will get good value.
One bag of starter culture will cost $5 less than what I charged for 1/2 lb of worms (so $20), and it should be enough worms to help you get a small-to-medium worm bin geared up for vermicomposting. I’ll also be offering a discount when more than one bag is ordered – two for $35, three for $45 (all prices include tax).
As you can see in the first picture, the bags themselves are somewhat larger than those used for compost ecosystem (and previously used for concentrated worm orders). When full, they’ll typically weigh around 3 1/2 lb or so (at time of packing – will likely lose moisture if shipped), and contain close to 3.5 litres of ’stuff’ (worms plus material).
In all honesty, I had hoped the bags would be somewhat larger so that I could offer ’small’ and ‘large’ options, but as it turns out the difference in size between these and the compost eco-bags isn’t enough (in my mind, anyway) to bother with this approach. If I get some larger bags sometime in the future, I may explore this option then.
Ok – well, I think that basically covers it! If you have ANY questions, and/or would like to order one or more of these bags, please send me an email (use the form on that page or simply send an email to this address: bentley @ wormcomposting.ca – without spaces).
Buy a Bag ‘O’ Worms!
August 18, 2009
I just wanted to write a quick update regarding some upcoming changes I’ll be making here at Worm Composting Canada. For the time being I will no longer be offering smaller, specific quantities of worms – I need to take some time away from the business, which means I’ll have far less time to dedicate to actual harvesting of worms.
In an effort to keep things rolling along (and to help streamline the business in general) I’ve decided to offer a new line of products – appropriately called “Bags of Worms”. There will be two sizes available – small and large. The small size will be the same as our standard ‘compost ecosystem‘ bags, and the large ones will be somewhat…uhhh…larger! [UPDATE: There is actually only one size available]
All joking aside, I will be writing another post very soon with some pictures and exact specifications.
[UPDATE: That post can be found >>HERE<<]
The bags will be filled with material and worms from thriving worm beds, so there will still be a lot of adult worms in the mix. Like our ‘compost ecosystem‘ product, there will also be a lot of small worms and cocoons, along with plenty of other composting organisms. One large bag should easily provide enough worms to populate a small to medium sized worm bin. With discount pricing for multiple bag orders, this product will also be a great option for those interested in stocking a larger system, or just generally starting with more worms.
Aside from helping the worms to make a much easier transition into a new system in general (due to all the food/habitat material that comes with them), this option also ensures that the worms don’t end up stressed out and injured due to all the handling/harvesting that typically takes place.
Stay tuned – more info to come soon!
Worm Inn Pro – COMING SOON!
July 8, 2009
I’ve been sold out of ‘Worm Inns’ for quite some time now, and have decided to discontinue selling my ‘mini’ worm bin system/kits (apologies for not updating the page until today!), but I am very happy to announce that my second batch of Worm Inns are on there way to me now, and will hopefully be here by the end of next week (July 17, 2009).
I’ve decided to no longer carry the regular Worm Inns, opting instead for the new ‘Worm Inn Pro’. This model is similar to the ‘regular’ version in every way except for the lid design. The original screen simply attached via velcro in four spots – in the Worm Inn Pro the screen is attached via a continuous zipper. In my opinion this is a huge improvement since it will greatly improve the chances of keeping pesky flying bugs (like fruit flies and fungus gnats) out of the system. Should you happen to develop an infestion, it will also help to keep it contained a lot more easily.
I should mention that this system does NOT come with a stand, but I’ve found that an inexpensive laundry hamper stand can work very well to support the Inn. Alternatively, you may opt to simply hang the system using bungy cords or something similar.
I currently have a couple of the older versions up and running in my basement, and have been really pleased with the results. I harvested beautiful vermicompost from my original Worm Inn several months ago, and will be doing so again very soon.
I plan to write more about my experiences with the Worm Inn and will be making a video about the system as well. If you would like to learn more, or reserve a Worm Inn Pro (or make reservations for your worms at the Inn? haha) be sure to fire me an email. Just so you know, I’ll only have 10 units (5 colours) in my first batch, so they will likely go pretty fast.
To learn more, and to see what colours are available, be sure to check out the ‘bins and kits‘ page.
Happy Earth Day!
April 22, 2009
I just wanted to write a quick post wishing everyone a Happy Earth Day!
Waterloo region is distributing rain barrels again this year (on Saturday April 25th) – they cost $30, but that is very cheap considering what they cost at stores (closer to $100). Learn more >>here<<.
I got one of these barrels a couple of years ago and have really appreciated having it. I actually keep a couple of plastic garbage cans for water storage as well. Whenever my main barrel fills up I transfer water over to the other bins, thus freeing up more space in the barrel, rather than letting it overflow. I end up with a lot more rain water for use around the property.
The region is also continuing to distribute FREE backyard composters this year as well (available at your local landfill station) - I highly recommend you take advantage of this if you have not already done so. In case you are wondering, composting worms work very well in one of these systems, but it is important to make sure you keep it moist (since they don’t let rain in), and also provide the worms with a decent habitat (i.e. a bunch of grass clippings and yard debris won’t cut it). I will likely be writing a post about this very soon so stay tuned!
Technorati Tags: waterloo, guelph, cambridge, elmira, kitchener, rain barrels, composting, composters, vermicomposting, red worms, red wigglers, earth day
Share ThisSpring has Sprung
April 17, 2009
Well, it has been ages since my last blog post here (I’ve remained quite active over on the Red Worm Composting blog) – I should definitely get things rolling again here!
As some of you will know, I had a bit of a slow period during the long winter months and had to essentially close up shop until the end of March. I am happy to report that we are back in action and ready for worm orders.
Now is a great time to get your backyard composting systems back up and operational. Many don’t realize it, but composting worms are actually extremely well suited to life in one of these systems – as long as you provide them with a nice moist habitat and plenty of carbon-rich materials (fall leaves, shredded cardboard etc) they should thrive. They will also help to speed up the composting process greatly!
Unfortunately the European Nightcrawler remains on the ‘most wanted’ list for many people (myself included) – it doesn’t look good for this season I’m afraid – but hopefully I will have a good stock of them at SOME point. I will certainly let everyone know if/when this happens.
The good news is that I have a variety of options for those who want to compost with Red Worms. A great option for anyone simply wanting to inoculate their backyard composter is the “Compost Ecosystem” bag – while cheaper than 1/4 lb of worms, this little ‘bag of life’ can really pack a punch – it is full of Red Worm cocoons, and lots of other critters that will help get your composting system going. It is like a ‘composting activator’ on steroids.
For those of you who want to get a little more serious with your vermicomposting efforts (at least in terms of seeing results more quickly), selecting one of our other worm order options will be the way to go. If you purchase Compost Ecosystem along with a worm order you will also get a significant discount. For 1/4 lb orders, you can get an Ecobag for an additional $7 ($3 off regular price), and for orders of 1/2 lb and above, your Ecobags will be $5 (half price).
Worm orders come with some compost ecosystem as well, but adding some extra to your system is not a bad idea – this is the habitat these worms are used to so it can really help them settle in more quickly, not to mention boosting future populations of worms (did you know that each worm cocoon hatches an average of 3 new worms?).
Some will be disappointed to hear that I’ve decided to discontinue selling worm bin Kits (still need to update that page). I will likely be making a new video to show you exactly how I made these bins – I love helping people do these sorts of things themselves anyway. Saves customers money, and let’s me focus on what I love to do – growing worms!
We DO still have one ‘Worm Inn’ left – it is purple. This is the very last one to sell for $45 – with the current exchange range, at that price I’m basically selling the system at a loss.
I recently harvested worm compost from the bottom of one of my two active Worm Inns and was hugely impressed with the quality of the material – beautiful ‘black gold’. So much nicer than the sludge I’ve grown accustomed to finding in the bottom of an enclosed plastic bin. It’s amazing what a little extra air flow can do!
I also still have lots of food scrap holders and biobags, all priced to clear!
Ok – I think that’s enough for one blog post. I hope to start posting a lot more regularly in coming weeks.
Share This**NEW** – Compost Ecosystem
December 10, 2008
I wanted to let everyone know that I am offering a new product – what I’m referring to as ‘Compost Ecosystem’. This material offers an inexpensive way for anyone to create their own thriving vermicomposting bin or backyard composter.
When most people think of vermicomposting they think WORMS, and understandably so. But is actually a very complex ecosystem, with countless micro- and macro-organisms working together to break down and stabilize waste materials.
Our Compost Ecosystem product is like ‘compost activator’ on steroids. In reality, you don’t even need to buy activator to get your compost bin going (although it certainly can help to get things going right away) since these microbes are everywhere, including the surfaces of the materials you are composting. The larger organisms however – especially composting worms – take longer to arrive in your heap (if EVER), so it really helps to add these early on. Better yet, why not create you own thriving compost system indoors during the winter. This way you will have lots of great material to add to your outdoor composting systems in the spring, assuming you don’t want to use it to create your own permanent indoor worm bin.
Simply mix some moistened shredded cardboard or newspaper with some fruit/veggie scraps in a rubbermaid bin (with drilled ventilation holes for best results), add the bag of Compost Ecosystem, put the lid on then let it sit. Easy peasy.
If you wait a few weeks to open it up again you will be amazed by what you find!
The Compost Ecosystem is also a fantastic educational tool. Adding 1 or 2 bags to a terrarium, along with some fall leaves and food waste can provide children with a first-hand look at the decomposition process. Great for lessons in ecology and invertebrate biology as well.
In order to eliminate confusion about this product, here is a breakdown of the scenarios in which it can and cannot be used effectively.
Great For:
- Innoculating composting system with beneficial organisms
- Helping worms to settle in to a new worm bin
- Slowly creating your own worm bin
- Science projects involving decomposition (but see “Not Great For” section below for exceptions)
- Teaching children about ecology
- Raising your own live fish food (again, this can take some time)
- Anyone in remote locations having trouble tracking down Red Worms (since can be shipped anywhere)
- Anyone looking for ’set it and forget it’ approach
- Anyone not wanting to invest a lot of money just yet.
Not Great For:
- Processing all your waste food scraps right away
- People who want to see instant results in general
- Adding directly to your garden (your soil/plants will benefit but the organisms will not thrive)
More Info:
Compost Ecosystem is a specially mixed blend of partially worm-worked materials. It contains a wide variety of organisms, worm castings, worm cocoons, and other partially degraded organic matter. It smells like a rich garden soil.
Each bag breathable bag contains nearly 3 litres of the mix, which is shipped relatively dry to reduce weight and protect against freezing.
While we can’t guarantee that the contents of each bag will be identical (in fact, we can guarantee that they will NOT be), we can guarantee that you will receive worms and cocoons, along with other compost heap creatures (if there is a specific kind of organism you want other than worms, please feel free to let us know and we may be able to adjust the mix accordingly). That is to say, this is not simply old worm bedding that’s been haphazardly scooped in a bag. Each bag is mixed from a number of sources, and in most cases will be augmented with additional organisms.
Unlike our densely packed worm shipments, a bag of Compost Ecosystem can also be shipped anywhere in Canada all winter long. We will likely be shipping worms less and less in coming (winter) months, thus this allows people to get a jump-start on composting season.
Pricing:
1 Bag – $10
2 Bags – $18
3 Bags – $24
Taxes included. Does not include shipping (1-2 bags will have the same shipping cost – 3 bags will cost somewhat more)
If you would like to place an order or learn more about our Compost Ecosystem product, please send us an email!
Technorati Tags: compost, compost activator, inoculum, spawn, microbes, beneficial microorganisms, compost starter, red worms, red wigglers, sow bugs, mites, ecosystem, decomposition, science projects, worm bins, composters, backyard composting, cocoons, vermicomposting, worm composting
Share ThisThe Worm Inns are HERE!
November 19, 2008
For some reason I thought I had written a post announcing the arrival of my Worm Inns. A recent email from someone inquiring if I’d have them available in time for Christmas served to jog my memory (thanks again, Kirk!) and make me realize that a blog update is way overdue.
The Worm Inn pictured to the right is my own test model. I originally had it hanging from the ceiling in my basement, but ended up transferring it to a laundry hamper stand after finding a nice one at Canadian Tire on the weekend. As you can see, it works quite nicely as a holder for the system.
My first batch of Worm Inns will be a bit of a test to gauge interest – so I only have one or two (at most) of each colour/design. I am going to put together a proper Worm Inn info section (with pictures) on the Worm Bins page, but in the meantime, here are the different options and the numbers available:
Flower Power – 1
Beige – 1
Dark Brown – 2
Maroon – 2
Green – 1
Camouflage – 1 (this is the design pictured above)
Purple – 1
Black – 1
The Worm Inn
October 11, 2008
I totally forgot to mention in my update post that I will have a brand new vermicomposting system available for sale very soon. It is called the ‘Worm Inn‘, and was actually created by my good friend, Robyn Crispe. There is a bit of a funny back story to all this as well.
Some time ago I came up with a very kooky vermicomposter idea called the “Creepy Pants Vermicomposter” – basically an old pair of jeans filled with bedding and composting worms, then fed with food waste. In theory it looked good, since it was a really inexpensive way to create your own ‘flow-through’ vermicomposting system – but in reality it was a bit of a mess. Not too surprisingly, the pant legs started to grow mold, and I even ended up with a serious infestation of fungus gnats as well.
Little did I know that, despite the limitations of the Creep Pants, I still somehow managed to inspire another avid vermicomposter to come up with her own version – which as you can see is a far cry from my moldy creepy pants.
Robyn has not only created a really cool system for herself, but she is REALLY running with this – turning her creation into a full-fledged business venture. Needless to say, I want to see her do really well with this, and I love the look of the Inn, so I’ve decided to start promoting them as well. I will be selling them in the US (via drop-shipping) on Red Worm Composting, and will be testing them out in the ‘real world’ up here in Canada (promoted via this website). I will of course be testing one out myself, and will be sure to write more about that in coming weeks once my first shipment arrives.
Stay tuned!
Back to Bloggy Business
October 11, 2008
I know there aren’t many people keenly watching this blog, but I just thought I should pop by to offer an apology to anyone who has been expecting more frequent posts. It has been a pretty crazy summer, with a lot on the go. I am definitely going to try to post more often from here on out though.
One important update I should mention (written about elsewhere) is the fact that my project with Crossroads restaurant was discontinued at the end of August. Unfortunately I just couldn’t handle all the waste materials, and more importantly all the time and energy required to handle these materials. I definitely bit off more than I could chew. I was hopeful that Anton (the owner) would let me scale back and take only certain waste materials, but it seems it’s an ‘all or nothing’ deal, so I am not longer receiving any wastes from them.
It was a hugely valuable learning experience for me, and hopefully the Crossroads folks aren’t left feeling even less enthusiastic about this sort of project. They should be proud – over the course of several months they helped to divert literally tons of organic waste from the landfill! Not only was it diverted, but it was used to create an incredibly bountiful garden (the tomato and zucchini harvest was insane), thanks to the help of my wiggling friends. I also got some nice pumpkins out of the deal (grown in my ‘Sandbox Self-Fertilizing Garden‘).
I am definitely enjoying a somewhat more relaxed fall, but still have a lot on the go so there is never a dull moment. For some reason, red worm orders have really picked up. I guess now that people are out of vacation mode they are once again thinking about this sort of thing.
With the cold weather approaching, now is a great time to start indoor composting with your very own worm bin. Get all that ‘black gold’ ready for the spring growing season!
Ok – I think that’s enough for now. Again, you should expect to see more from me in coming weeks/months.
Share ThisWelcome to WormComposting.ca
May 8, 2008
Well, this is the first official (non-test) post here on the new site! We are starting to get things rolling here and should be in full swing within a few weeks.
By the way, you’ll notice that I use the term “we” a fair bit on the site. While it is primarily just a ME at the moment, and am working closely with a number of people, and enlisting the help of family and friends as well. So don’t worry – it’s not some kind of multiple personality disorder or anything like that!
Here’s where we (there I go again – haha) stand as far as worms and other products goes…
Currently we have Red Worms (Eisenia fetida) ready to be sold – smaller, orders are preferable for the next couple weeks while I get myself organized a little.
I should be ready to start selling European Nightcrawlers (Eisenia hortensis) before the end of the month (May), but unfortunately just don’t have enough to part with any at the moment.
We are also going to be selling other products from the website, such as worm bins, castings and biodegradable waste bags (the list of products will continue to grow) – hopefully by the end of the month!
As far as ordering goes – for now, please just send me an e-mail to let me know you are interested in making a purchase and we will take it from there.
I’m going to be using Paypal as my payment handler – they have a very secure online payment system. For those who have their own Paypal account it will simply withdraw money from that account, while for those who don’t it simply let’s you pay by credit card (I’m really happy they changed the policy – previously in Canada you had to have a paypal account in order to use it). Just so you know, you won’t see ‘Worm Composting Canada’ on the receipt (issued by Paypal) – it will be ‘Compost Guy’ and/or my name.
As mentioned on the homepage, if you are a U.S. resident hoping to purchase worms please fire me an email. I am working closely with a great supplier south of the border so we are definitely able to help you get your worms.
Ok, that’s all for now! If you have any questions or comments don’t hesitate to get in touch!
Regards,
Bentley
Technorati Tags: vermicomposting, worm composting, red worms, european nightcrawlers, waterloo region
Share This