Worm Composting - Page 2

Chirimoya · #11 12-06-2003, 10:23 PM

Pib,

this site is fun and answers the questions:

http://www.wormwoman.com/

Another one, this time in Spanish:

http://www.manualdelombricultura.com/

Good luck!

Chiri

Keith R · #12 12-06-2003, 11:08 PM

Terrific post, Chiri! Thanks much! Not only very informative, but I love the humorous metaphor. Keep those contributions coming!

It's amazing to me how many terrific writers we have among the DR1 boards! Besides Chiri, see Tom F's post on solar & you'll see another fine example of what I mean! And just wait until Cleef tackles outdoor adventures!

Chiri, maybe your husband, Jaime, Luke (ihtown) & Stephen (sjh) should form a worm enthusiasts club for the DR. You might find that there's much more of them in the DR than you suspect!

jsizemore · #13 12-06-2003, 11:55 PM

I am no expert on the tropical but as kid in good old West Virginia I used to raise worms under my rabbit cages and all I had to do was make sure I kept the whole bed moist and provide dranage. The rabbit dropings provided to food and the worms kept my chickens fat. For me the best part was I did not shovel rabit poop. I harvested worms for bait. Easy day.
If an 8 year old could do it I think anyone can.
John

Keith R · #14 12-07-2003, 01:29 AM

Chiri,
There's another useful link in Spanish on worm composting at http://lombricultura.freeservers.com/

Also, there's a pretty good FAQ in Spanish on the subject at http://www.lombricesrojas.com.ar/pre...es_sobre_l.htm

As for English, there's a pretty good FAQ at http://www.oldgrowth.org/compost/wormfaq.html

While in English it's hard to beat the WormWoman site, this one I'm told (I'm not the vermicomposting expert

) is pretty useful: http://gnv.fdt.net/~windle/

There's evidently even several online publications devoted to the subject, such as" Worm Digest" http://www.wormdigest.org

Best Regards,
Keith

Chirimoya · #15 12-07-2003, 12:32 PM

I just edited my post, I had said "sprinkle water a couple of hours a day" when it should have been "a couple of times a day".

Chiri

caco · #16 12-08-2003, 09:29 PM

Congratulations, Keith, the posting on the new environment forum has been more than a big success. About worm composting I have all the contacts to get the worms and any help for those who would like to start at the lowest possible cost. The worms are for sale in Villa Mella at one DR peso each. With one thousand worms you could start a mid size operation
because in less than two monthe they will triple. The rest of the
stuff that is needed is manure for startesr and a box with some type of a cover. It is best to have a good box because the worms easily escape and to protect them from birds, ants, rats etc…
I am ready to personally help anyone or thru email jaimem@gbon.net
I have not been available before because of a very bad cold I caught last month and only now just recovering.

sjh · #17 12-09-2003, 07:38 AM

where in the DR is Villa Mella?

thanks

Chirimoya · #18 12-09-2003, 07:50 AM

Just outside Santo Domingo (NE?)

Chiri

Hillbilly · #19 12-09-2003, 08:32 AM

CACO: YOu provide a hilarious scenario of a few red worms peeping out of an old Icebox shell, looking around, and saying: "OK guys, the coast is clear!"

Are escaping worms a big problem? Seems to me there in a conundrum: If you have holes for drainage, you have excape routes for Harry Worm and his Gang to escape through...In other words, the "worm turns."

Anyway, I am happy to see that worms have finally brought Caco out of his "hole" hehehe

I think this might be a good project for schools....

HB

Dolores · #20 12-09-2003, 09:22 AM

Definitely this is a program for schools. In November attended the Slow Food International Congress in Napoli. The US Slow Food organization (see http://www.slowfoodusa.org/) has announced a nationwide push to get small farms going in public and private schools nationwide. Same thrust as when there was a nationwide movement in the US to get physical ed going in schools. The US has a big problem in that one in every three children is either diabetic or a candidate to being a diabetic. This is attributed to the distancing of the population with real food and the takeover of school cafeterias by companies such as McDonalds, etc. The Slow Food program wants to start the farms so that the children can have an encounter with real food and the farms may eventually begin to supply the cafeterias. Note that Alice Waters, the president of Slow Food USA (also appointed Vice President International Slow Food in the Napoli convention), owns Chez Panisse restaurant that was named Best Restaurant in America by Gourmet magazine in 2001, so this is mainstream Americana. Read about her work at http://www.chezpanisse.com/alice.html
This is about educating the taste of people, and especially the new generations, so they can make choices.

Having started at home with worm composting of our own wastes (see post by Caco), and planting our herbs and timidly planting tomatoes, peppers, salad greens, we feel more people should be doing this. We live in an apartment on a 6th floor and use a small area of our terrace for this, planting in containers. My husband and I head the local chapter of Slow Food in the Dominican Republic and our plan is to take up the US initiative and do a pilot program in our son's school in Santo Domingo, and then take what we learn to be replicated by others around the country. Anyone who wants to try a pilot program anywhere else, is welcome to go for it. While the US program will need to be adapted to work in the DR, lots of what they are doing will apply here, too. Anyone interested, just email me directly to work on this pilot program together. Everytime I pass by the empty dirt lots at the public schools around the country, I get to asking why these could not be planted. So here is a challenge to do something about it!