Any worm farmers here?

[steve-in-kville]

This seems like a neat venture for someone who already grows garden and raises rabbits, almost like it would complete the loop.

So does anyone actually raise worms for sale? Do you have bins or something to raise your worms in?

Would like to learn more about this industry.

[orangehen]

I have a lot of red wigglers in a plastic bin in the basement - can't wait for warmer weather so they can all go out in the compost bin. I don't sell them because I don't live near any fishing spots.

Went to a "vermiculture" program put on by County Extension a year or so ago. They gave us a big plastic bin with lots of squares cut out on sides & bottom for air (covered with screening or worms will crawl out), filled with shredded newspaper (no colors). Ordered worms, dampened newspaper, put worms in, and fed them mostly vegetable scraps (found out they don't like piecrust).

Let me tell you, those little worms can EAT!!! And reproduce! The bin is FULL, and if I open the lid, they're all over the place. I put potting soil in there, too, and they seem to like that better than newspaper. They eat their weight in scraps in a VERY short time, the more rotted the scraps, the better. As I said in a previous post, I work in a restaurant, and try to grab all the lettuce and tomatoes, etc. that they are going to throw away (before salad dressing are put on), and feed that to the worms. I even gave some worms away to the Extension this year, as they were having another vermiculture program. But I've just GOT to get them into the compost pile soon.....if you feed them enough, and the right things, they just explode!

The lady at the extension said she had a tub of worms under her desk at work and they weren't doing too well. I didn't say anything, but I'll bet those poor worms got dumb things to eat like leftover McDonalds, or processed food that her co-workers brought for lunch. They won't thrive on that stuff. Got to feed them REAL food scraps, mostly vegetable/fruit.

You could also feed the worms to your chickens, but my daughter said that's cruel.....

[MariaAZ]

I'd love to raise worms to help with rabbit manure handling by building beds under the cages. A few sites suggested buying red wigglers at the bait shop, but the one I went to only has night crawlers. I assume I can order them through the mail, but it's getting too warm now so I'll have to wait until fall.