Worms Love Coffee, Too

I have a thousand worms in my basement. I keep them in a special, layered bin filled with wet coconut fiber and moist, shredded newspaper. I feed them and check them regularly to ensure that they are healthy. Am I an invertebrate-lover with an odd affection for earthworms? No, though some think I am strange when they see me cuddling my pet bearded dragon. On the contrary, these worms work for me, eating my food scraps and creating rich compost for my garden.

I discovered vermicomposting, as it is called, sometime last year. I forget where I first read about it, but after quite a bit of research and some glowing first-hand success stories, I decided to order a worm bin. I could have chosen to build a worm bin using large plastic totes nested inside each other, but many reviews praised this model as the best for maintaining the right amount of moisture and keeping out fruit flies. Since Josh only reluctantly agreed to let me try worm composting, I decided that I would rather spend the extra money in order to reduce the nuisance of fruit flies, which might cause Josh to change his mind about the project.

The kids, of course, loved the idea of keeping worms in our basement. They celebrated when the bin arrived and helped me set it up and prepare the worms' bedding. Then, after I placed the order for one thousand red wiggler worms, they asked me every day when the worms would get here. Finally, about two weeks later, FedEx's website showed that the worms were out for delivery. I decided to make the whole day "Worm Day" in anticipation of their arrival.

First, we curled up together and read a book that my parents' gave Ben for his birthday - Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin. The kids love the silly story about the adventures of an earthworm, and though the story mostly just entertains, it also briefly explains how worms help the earth. Then, I brought all three kids over to the computer to show them a website I found that demonstrates how vermicomposting works. The Adventures of Vermi the Worm is an educational game created by the California Integrated Waste Management Board to teach school children about worm composting. Although the "game" is more of an interactive demonstration, the kids really enjoyed watching it and learning how the worm bin would work.

At last, the worms arrived. Amazingly, one thousand red wiggler worms fit into a tiny canvas bag about the size of a ziplock freezer bag. We brought the worms down to the basement and dumped them into the bin. After allowing them to settle in for a bit, we buried some food scraps in their bedding. In order to avoid rotting and an unpleasant odor, we started off with just a small amount of food - some crushed egg shells, chopped banana and cucumber peels, an apple core, and a few tea bags. However, the worms also eat and compost something that I, too, enjoy every day... coffee! Actually, I drink my two cups of morning coffee and then the worms enjoy the leftovers. They happily eat the coffee grounds, filter and all. You can see the tiny worm nestled in the damp coffee filter at the top of the picture below:

This morning, after our weekend away, I went downstairs to check on the worms and make sure that they are still alive and eating. I found them throughout the food scraps, busily converting my trash into castings that will nourish my garden next spring.

I love that something this simple helps the environment by reducing my waste and helps my garden by providing a rich, organic compost. Hopefully, my kids are also learning fun and easy ways to be good stewards of this planet, which they will one day inherit from us. If my kids learn this lesson well, I will gladly share my morning coffee with thousands of slimy pink invertebrates!