Worm Farming as Extra Income

A worm farm could be a great investment for a little extra income as a first business for a young entrepreneur.  A young person with access to a big backyard, who lives in the country or a young person who lives on a farm might find worm farming a great way to get their first experience with business management.  Even a child who lives in the city can start a small worm farm if they have a flower bed-sized area to begin.  Town folk like to fish and garden, too.

Suppose you're looking for something to occupy your spare time during your retirement years?  Worm farming on a small scale may be just the thing to keep you busy, to give you an activity that keeps you close to nature, can provide extra income, and can be less demanding physically.

Worm farming could be a great interest to share with your young grandchild.  You could try it as a way to gain popularity among your fishing buddies or with your gardening friends.

Shelter for your worm farm is important for several reasons.  Shade from the sun, cover from the rain (you wouldn't want your investment to drown or be washed away), and protection from reptiles and birds are important reasons to have good shelter.

Worms go dormant in the winter.  You'd have to keep them in a controlled environment to sell them year-round.  Sheds, barns, or basements that allow for temperature control are some ideas.

Make sure you consider packaging costs.  The right packaging for your worms, their castings, or the tea you can make with the drain water could help improve your businesses chance for success.  Informative and/or attractive packaging can help spread your trademark to solidify your image in the public eye.  But when you first start out, you'll want to keep your overhead as low as possible, so choose your supplies wisely so your extra income will be more lucrative.

Plant nurseries, feed stores, or hardware stores are some ideas for places to contact about allowing you to sell your products from your worm farm.  You may be able to sell on a consignment basis.  You could rent a booth at a flea market to get a start on selling your products.  To make extra income, you have to be willing to let go of some first!

You might try making a deal with a local livestock farm to trade some fishing worms for manure to help feed your worms.  Just make sure there's no residue left in the manure that would kill your worms.  If the animals have been wormed recently, or if they have parasites of the wrong kind, it could wipe out your stock.  Chicken manure may be the least attractive manure since it tends to be "hot".  Also, remember not to use fresh manure.  It's better if it has aged for a few weeks.

Some people enjoy worm farming as a way to manage their stress levels.  They find it relaxing to harvest the worms.  Just as people find relaxation in gardening or bird-watching, worm farming can relieve tension and give you an outlet to focus on.  It may even be a way to help your child make new friends with the kids on the block!