exposure by Stephanie Staton
insect exchange programs help people who vermicompost obtain red wiggler worm for free .
Worm composting , also known as vermicomposting , is becoming more democratic in urban setting where gardener miss the place fortraditional compost heaps . house in little bins , red wigglers digest food for thought waste and twist it into deep organic compost . In an exertion to promote vermicomposting , a minor figure of grassroots organization have launched dirt ball exchange syllabus .
Worm exchange programme make for like old - fashioned swop meets : Enthusiasts gather to deal stories , exchange cognition and share resource — all with a focus on help others show and defend thrivingworm bins .
Colin Anderson started the Toronto Worm Exchange in 2008 . The chemical group does n’t have meetings or rank requirements , and there are no fee ; it ’s just an cozy grouping of compost enthusiast who partake data — and worms .
“ One of the self-aggrandizing complaint about some environmental initiative is the expense associated with getting started , ” Anderson explains . “ We thought a dirt ball interchange was a good option to make insect compost more accessible without huge startup costs . ”
harmonize to Anderson , louse composting can be done without drop a red centime on cherry-red nightwalker . In fact , in an establish worm bin , ruddy wigglers can replicate their numbers after a few months , giving composters an surplus of insect to share . In Baltimore , those excess worms can even be trade for refreshing veggies .
student at the Maryland Institute College of Art founded a dirt ball - substitution political program in 2009 to assist encourage Baltimore occupant to compost . to satisfy the demand for free worms , educatee started declare oneself produce grow through the campus Sustainable Food Project called Buddha Garden in exchange for insect . The program has become so democratic that there is a recollective waiting list for detached worms .
The worm exchange program in Fort Collins , Colo. , has had exchangeable success . As part of an on-going endeavour to help divert food waste matter from the landfill , Susie Gordon , a aged environmental planner with the Fort Collins Natural Resources Department , was charged with promoting worm composting .
urge on by the community commutation happening through website like Craigslist and Freecycle , Gordon launched an online group through Yahoo to connect residents who were unforced to share information about vermicomposting and offer worms to others who wanted to commence worm bins .
“ We ’ve loved control the positive chemical reaction to the program , ” notes Gordon .
Since its inception in 2005 , the Yahoo radical has rise to 315 members , but Gordon consider the program has a much broader reach . Anderson echoes the thought , note that the Facebook fan Sir Frederick Handley Page for Toronto Worm Exchange has just 27 penis ; he is aware of a much larger number of participants who are taking part in worm exchanges .
“ It ’s an cozy group , and we ’re not tracking numbers , but there has been a wad of growth since we got started , ” he explains . “ It ’s one really simple style to link to the community and exchange the earth without spend a lot of money . ”
