We took a tour of the facility. This is where they brew the "tea". They have a few combinations they create and use special methods of processing the tea.
They use special buckets with holes around the top to house the worms.
Worm castings! It is so much more than compost!
Yes, they're touching worm poop! Good stuff!
They watch the temperature and moisture levels in the buckets. The combination consists of peat moss, grain (proprietary blend), and a tiny amount of dried milk. After about 2 weeks, it is considered castings and goes through a process to make sure the castings are separated.
There are also "nurseries" in a bin next to the pallets of buckets for the baby worms. They use an African crawler here for their results.
Before they pack the castings up, they use a machine that shakes. It separates the different products. The castings drop off in one area, the worms in another, and the eggs and extra peat moss in another.
They had plenty on stock for purchase, yet are also getting the product out in many of the garden stores nearby. I see many of them listed on their Facebook page, with new garden center added all the time. They were preparing for a large order. It's great to see their success. POL talks about the benefits of worm castings here.
They also had a few potted plants available for sale that were grown using the castings. I like that they are offering viable options for enhancing soil quality and are a home grown business as well. I am slightly concerned about the sustainability of the use of peat moss, yet haven't looked at the costs/benefits of using the peat moss. I wonder if using another medium might be viable. Perhaps this is something they will look into in the future. I appreciated the behind the scenes look at their process. They have grit and determination and have worked hard at creating a needed product in our community. I look forward to trying the sample they shared when I saw them at Spring Market at Wellfield Botanic Garden earlier in Spring.
