The History of Worms and Worm Farming

When many of us think of worms, we think of the few pink earthworms that hang out in the garden, strolling through the soil and showing their faces after a heavy rain.  We don't often stop to think about the history involved in these legless creatures.  Some people even put these guys to work for profit and natural soil care through a process known as worm farming. 

So how long have worms really been around?  To take a look at the history of worm farming, we have to go way back before the age of man.  Worms have been around almost since the beginning of time.  Even in the age of the dinosaurs, earthworms worked hard breaking down excrement and waste.  Their job was to produce a substance more useful to the soil.  In turn, the level of fertility of the soil would remain high promoting a better rate of growth.

From 51 and 30 B.C., the Queen of Egypt, Cleopatra VII realized the importance the worms played in the fertilization of the Nile.   The export of worms from Egypt was then banned and became a crime punishable by death.  For this reason, the Nile has been reported to contain the most fertile soil in the world even today.

Many years later, Charles Darwin published "The Formation of Vegetable Mould through the Actions of Worms with Observations on their Habits" in 1881.  He mentions here that the plough was one of the best inventions made by man.  It changed the lives of farmers everywhere. 

The worm however, has been doing the same job long before man although later they were once regarded as a pest.  It was thought that worms destroyed plant life, chewing through the roots of crops.  In reality, the worms plough through the Earth carrying water and air beneath the soil aerating and fertilizing it.  Darwin continued to study earthworms, their habits and their benefits to man for over forty years.  He even went so far as to label these crawlers as one of the most important creatures on earth.

During the Industrial Revolution in the 1800s chemistry was discovered and Darwin's studies were cast aside.  Worm farming as a natural method for ploughing was ignored.  Instead, man-made products were used for the job for a quicker more efficient way of producing a larger yield of growth.

Chemists produced fertilizers that increased the growth of crops.  These fertilizers also damaged the soil, requiring even more fertilizers to continue to produce this increased growth yield.  Other chemicals such as pest sprays and poisons have caused the decrease in the population of earthworms in the soil, thereby causing a fall in the fertility of the soil. 

Because of the availability and ease of use, fertilizers and pesticides have been primarily used in crops across the world.  However, some farmers began to culture their own worms on a smaller scale.  Worm farming, or vermiculture, is the use of earthworms to aerate soil and change organic matter into compost.  It only became a commercial process in the 1970s. 

Worm farmers experience fluctuations in production and revenue depending on market requirements and demand.  While commercial worm farmers still exist and function efficiently, many individuals have begun to establish their own methods of farming worms.  This has been made easier through readily available worm farming supplies and equipment to encourage a more natural way of producing well fertilized soil and for composting waste.

The views about worms and how they effect the environment have changed dramatically over the years.  Whether they're held sacred or regarded as nasty slimy critters, worms have proved to be hardy and beneficial enough to last this long; they're probably going to hang around for many years to come. 

Understanding Worm Farming

Worm castings, Bwlch Mawr - geograph.org.uk - 1058560 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As seen on : Worm Farming


Some people ask, "Why in the world would I want to have a worm farm?  There are plenty of other useful farms that sell vegetables, fruits, animals, and eggs.  What good is a worm farm?"  Well, it's an understandable reaction.  After all, it's usually the quiet people in society that go unnoticed; so why shouldn't there be quiet creatures that go unnoticed?  People underestimate the value of the worm.

It's true that there are worms that do damage to crops, animals, and people.  Worms in your intestinal system are best flushed out.  That's why dogs and cats, even horses and cows receive worm treatments.  These worms are taking away nutritional values the animals need to survive.

What about the good worms?  The first reaction to a worm is, "Ewww, gross."  Or, "Is that a snake?"  Well, understanding anything is the key to appreciating it more.  No, a worm is not a snake.  The good worms are not poisonous and have positive benefits that are not readily seen.  They're hard-working little creatures and deserve our respect.

So, what are good worms?  Earthworms, compost worms, and fishing worms are good worms.  Earthworms are found in rich soil.  If your plants are healthy and growing, chances are there are earthworms down there toiling away to help make this happen.  Those die-hard fishermen can tell you about the benefits of a good, fat fishing worm!  Catfish and bream are two of the type of fish that enjoy worms.  Let's not forget the healthy birds that flock to your yard to sing and play for you and your children or husband.  These birds eat more than just the seed in your feeder, which is a good thing since the seed will run out and be forgotten by the well-meaning providers.  That's where the worms come in to take up your slack! 

People farm worms for useful reasons.  But there are also reasons most people can't accept in general society yet.  Worms can be great food for people.  Mealworms, earthworms, grub worms, butterworms, and tomato horn worms are all edible.  There are restaurants in Singapore that offer worms as a meal choice.  Worms are eaten in Thailand, Mexico, Australia, Africa, Asia, and South America.  People who are trying to survive in the wild, like our military soldiers, are taught to eat worms as a source of protein.  They're low in fat, too. 

Although people may not readily eat worms in America, worm farms can still provide a source of exotic food for those who do.  The worms can also be shipped to other places, but the temperature has to be right so they'll live during shipment and upon arrival.

Worm farms can also produce special food called "hornworm chow", meal, and flours for use in cooking breads and cakes.  Hornworm chow is sold as a powder for about $10 per 1/2 pound to feed about 85 worms to adulthood.  This chow also feed chameleons. 

So, as you can see worm farms are special and understanding them can be interesting and helpful.

What Do You Need to Know About Worm Farming?

Maybe you want to try something different, something unique to your area, or just something to gross out your neighbors!  Worm farming is educational, beneficial to nature, and has a lot of potential in the market if you know how to push your product.

An earthworm can lay 900 eggs a year.  That's a lot of eggs.  They can produce CO2.  That's a positive thing.  Their digestive system helps neutralize acidic soil or soil with a high alkaline level.  That's a gardener's friend.  Worms are a source of food for other animals.  A natural food that is safe and healthy.  So, how can you go wrong with a good worm farm?!

An interesting and strange thing to know about worm farming is that many years ago Cleopatra declared earthworms to be sacred, gods of fertility.  A little old earthworm was protected and cherished, death to the person who caused harm to the earthworm. 

America is not so kind to the lowly earthworm.  Usually it is forgotten, ignored, or used for bait or gardening purposes.  Some other cultures use it for food, which could be considered sacred to a starving person!

A healthy thing you need to know about worm farming is that if you want to lower your cholesterol level, go eat worms.  Seriously, earthworms can reduce your cholesterol level because they contain Omega 3 oil.  You are probably saying that you'd rather have a high cholesterol level.  But what else are you putting in your system on a daily basis?  To a vegetarian, meat eaters are the sick people.  To the meat eater, only eating vegetables can seem crazy.  So, who's to say eating worms is wrong, especially considering the health benefits.  They're good protein, less fattening, cheap to produce and cost a lot less than steak!  If you prefer a sophisticated term for this oddity, its scientific term is entomophagy.

Worm farming is usually done for reasons other than eating, of course.  Those worms in the bait shop or in the pet store have to come from somewhere.  Now you know where they came from.  Worm farms do have their risks, of course, as does any business.  Making money with them is not necessarily easy.  You have to know your worms, know your market, and know how to manage your money.

Feeding your worms doesn't cost much for a small worm farm. They eat dirt, decayed leaves, animal manure, living organisms found in the soil, vegetables and fruits, non-glossy paper products, grains, grass clippings, and wood pieces.  Just make sure that whatever you feed them has no residues of any type of poisons.

You can start a worm farm in a simple container with some dirt, holes for air and drainage, moisture, and food scraps.  Large containers will need some sort of sifting tray for when you are ready to harvest your worm crop.  You may want to capture the drainage to use for tea for your plants.  Once you see how the process works on a small scale, you can decide whether or not it's something you would want to become further involved with as a substantial business.

Odds and Ends to Note About Worm Farming

For the beginner, worm farming can either seem like a simple adventure or something totally foreign to them.  Some people have never been brave enough to hold a worm, not to mention making a whole farm of them!  So, let's explore some interesting odds and ends about worm farming.

Compost worms and earthworms are not the same.  Earthworms loosen the soil.  Compost worms eat the mulch layer of soil.  Grub worms are not really worms at all.  They're larvae from the June bugs that are pests to people in the southern parts of the United States.  Catalpa worms are not really worms either.  They're caterpillars from a moth species that are known to infest the Catalpa tree.  Red worms are popular as fishing bait.  Tomato horn worms sound like little monsters, but they're actually edible worms.  Witchetty grub worms are served in restaurants as barbecued appetizers in Australia.  Palm grubs are prepared by frying in hot pepper and salt.  (Kinda makes you want to ask what the new dish is before you eat in a strange place, huh?)  If you soak an earthworm overnight, it will purge the soil from them.

Odds are that the end result of many dishes served in other countries could be quite tasty.  But most worm farming in America is done for other purposes.  New word of the day is vermicomposting!  It sounds really smart and sophisticated, but it only means composting with worms.  Worms are great little workers for your compost bin and can enrich the end result.  This means you have better luck with that green thumb you've been trying so hard to encourage!

You can build a worm bin out of wood, plastic, concrete, an old bucket, or an old bathtub.  If you really want an odd bin, create one out of an old toilet!  You just knew you were saving it for something, didn't you?  The only problem with having strange bins is that you need to create a drain.  You can't let your worm dirt get too soggy.  They rise to the top of the ground after a rain for a reason, you know.

Drainage creates another benefit of your worm farm called worm tea.  No, you don't drink it.  That would be far too odd and might end with a sick stomach.  You don't serve it to your worms either.  Although it does create a cute picture to imagine them sitting at a tiny table, holding their tiny little tea cups and wearing tiny little straw floppy hats!

Did you know you can feed your worms vacuum cleaner dust?  Although you may want to ensure that you didn't just fog the house for bugs before you vacuumed.

Worm farming can be as expensive or as low-cost as you choose to make it.  How much does it cost to start a worm farm?  Well, that's up to you.  How fancy you think you need it?  How large do you want to make it?  What type of worms do you want to start with?  How much space will you have for new growth?  How much money do you have available for the adventure?  What type of advertising do you want to do if it is a business venture?  Whatever your choices are, odds are that you'll end up learning something valuable!