Earth Worms

[Virginia_mike]

Hi All,
Has anyone anything with Earth Worms on a large scale?
See this link I found:
http://journeytoforever.org/farm_lib...iver_farm.html

Very interesting on how this old farmer did it on 160 acres.
I am just getting started reclaiming an old farm , and I want to do as much as I can with out using Chem's.
I thought I would start small on some raised beds with worms, using some of the same methods as this old farmer.

Any thoughts?

Mike

[Jethro]

I have been interested in worm farming from time to time but do not know how to develop a market to sell them in. Do you have plans for that?

[moopups]

Put 'earth worms' into the search feature, 99 entries are present.

[Tater Farm]

I'm planning on doing worms on a much smaller scale under meat rabbits for our freezer. There's a bait shop on the lake close by - may try and market the worms with them.

[BasicLiving]

I did this on a very small scale for many years. I grew worms in a plastic tub in our basement. They made the BEST compost that I used in my garden and on my house plants. Very easy to feed with table scraps (veggie material only), some torn up newspaper, and a little water now and then. I haven't started them again since on our homestead, but I plan to in the future. Hard working little buggers.

I imagine doing that on a large scale would be MOST beneficial. Let us know if you decide to do it!

Penny

[pixelphotograph]

I'm starting out with worms for the vermicompost to add to the soil for my market gardens. Its great stuff and it wont burn up your crops.

[Virginia_mike]

Hi,
I don't plan on selling them, just raising them to add to the soil.

Mike

[hotzcatz]

Which came first, the earthworms or the good soil? Will adding earthworms improve the soil or will improving the soil encourage earthworms to appear?

[crafty2002]

Where at in the screwed up state of Va. do you live Mike????
I am in Danville. I have wanted to get into growing worms myself but hadn't gotten around to it yet. You might push me over the ledge, LOL. I have an old refrigerator I was about to haul off but since you brought this up, it sounds like a good winter project to me. I had looked into it before, just lost track of my thoughts at the time doing something else.
Considering I won't do anything about the goats or rabbits until spring, this would be a great project for the winter.
Let's do each other a favor. I'll do my research. You do yours and when either of us find something that really seems like something special, PM each other. That way we will both be learning double time.
Which I don't think there is that much to it, but sometimes just one or two little things you've over looked make the difference.

[Virginia_mike]

Hi Crafty,
I live in Locust Grove Va right now on 8 acres. I have a small farm east of Orange Va near Lake Anna that I plan to build a house on and move in about 4-5 years. There are just to many people moving to this area. I am about 1 hour south of Washing D/C.

Yes I will keep you informed on my worm progress. I am also going to start small with a small test garden this spring, I have already built my raised bed and I am filling it with material to start the worms in.

Mike

[crafty2002]

Hi Mike, it's me again. I have my daughter that as I type trying to find you on the map. I would like to see your set up sometime if you don't mind.
Heck, she just found you. You are about a hundred miles past Richmond. I didn't realize D.C. was that far past Richmond.
Too far to just look at worms but we can still PM about our doings.
I am moving the the frige tomorrow and get it set up. I already have a lot of compost to get the worms started in and I will go from there.
I am just going to buy a couple of containers of red wiggler fishing worms and add what I dig up tilling the garden.

From what I read so far since you got me started back on this again, a worm is both sexes in one. they don't need to mate and they will lay about 900 eggs per year and all you need to do is feed and water them.
From my own experience all feeding them requires is some oak leaves.

I have read that things like newspaper, cardboard boxes, etc., are all they need.

I grew my own fishing worms when I was able to fish a lot. It was very simple. Rake the leaves up on a concrete pad that was in front of the trailer we owned at the time, and they made their own selves.
Small amount of leaves but I always had worms when I wanted to go fishing.

What I am going to do is very small compared to your raised beds, but maybe we can still help each other out.
I have heard of people, not getting rich, but making a few bucks with a frige turned on it's back. That's what I am going to try to do.
Right now, ever dollar counts. If I spend a buck I need two back. And I am starting to get pretty good at it.
But growing worms looks like it will cost a lot less than raising chickens for eggs. Plus the chickens will like them for desert.
Let me know how yours goes and I will also.
Dennis