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!

Worm Farming: A How-To Guide

Often times when someone hears about worm farming for the first time they think about how it could easily generate revenue with little effort.  Perhaps the thought of having a personal supply of nutrient rich soil for the garden or flower beds sounds appealing.  Either way, it's important to know how to set up a proper worm farm your specific reasons. 

To understand how to set up a worm farm, the benefits worms provide must first be established.  Worm farming provides nutrient rich soil yielding a higher growth rate for vegetables, flowers and other plants.  A natural technique for composting with worms is beneficial to the environment as it helps eliminate the over filling of landfills.  Some worm farms are established for the purpose of providing live bait to fishermen, exotic pet owners and even aquarium fish owners. 

With the purpose of the worm farm in mind, the set up can begin.  Worm bins are readily available for purchase on the Internet.  Various sizes, shapes, and colors add to the selection.  Current large scale worm farmers will often sell small set ups for a comparable price. 

Other than purchasing a unit online or through a commercial worm farmer, set ups can be made at home out of a number of household items.  Plastic tubs or large wooden boxes can be altered and provide a perfect home for these working worms. 

Multiple layers are needed to provide a space for the liquid at the bottom.  The liquid will run off the soil above and can be drained via a tap or hole at the bottom of the container.  Within the upper layer of soil, the worms can move about towards the material to be composted.

The numerous models that can be purchased are also available for indoor use for those with limited or no outdoor space.  Worm bins can typically be stacked for adding more worms later on. 

Appropriate bedding will need to be provided for the worms to ensure a healthy life style.  Peat moss or coconut fiber containing a small amount of compost material is well accepted.  Bedding should always be moist for worms.  Many prepackaged worm bins come complete with bedding and set up instructions.

Location of the bin is important as well.  Worms are unable to tolerate extremes in temperature.  A location where temperature can be controlled between 72 - 75 degrees Fahrenheit, or choosing a fully insulated system, will help keep the worms healthy and happy.  The level of moisture within the bin can be affected by location too.

When a unit is chosen and prepared, the worms will need to be added to start the farm.  Various worms are readily available.  Red Wigglers are the best choice for composting farms while European Night Crawlers are best for live bait. 

When worms are purchased, they typically come with acclimation instructions. An important step is to be sure the bedding and unit are fully prepared before the worms arrive for placement within the farm. 

Feeding the worms is the fun part.  They can consume any number of items to be used as compost including fruit and vegetable scraps, egg shells, paper products, cotton rags, soaked cardboard boxes, leaves, dirt and hair.  Items should be cut down to manageable sizes.  Fruits should be sliced into strips for easier consumption by the worms. 

Provide a layer of items to be consumed on the top layer of the soil.  To avoid over feeding, only add more food when most of previously fed food has been eaten. 

Worm castings can be found in the bottom layer of the soil.  This natural fertilizer can be added directly to flower beds and gardens.  A liquid fertilizer can be made by adding water to castings for plants and flowers that prefer to be fed directly at the roots. 

Worm farming is relatively low maintenance.  If the habitat is less than desirable, the worms will often simply crawl away in search of better living conditions.  Keeping the temperature constant, moisture at an appropriate level and food readily available will help ensure a healthy and happy supply of working worms. 

Facts about Worm Farming

Worm farming is a great way to naturally compost waste and other discarded materials.  As a result, nutrient rich soil is produced and can be used in flower beds, crops, and gardens.  Regardless of all the reading and research one does, issues may arise and can cause some concern. 

Here are a few of the commonly reported questions and issues with worm farms. 

Smell

It is often thought by many that a smelly worm farm is normal.  In fact, it is not.  If worms are kept in an appropriate environment, they will not smell.  If the farm has an odor, the most likely cause is overfeeding. 

Material to be composted is placed on the top layer of soil for the worms to consume.  If too much is given to the worms, it can begin to rot causing a build up of bacteria within the walls of the worm farm.  This is the cause of the smell. 

To remedy the situation, simply discontinue feeding of the worms until any uneaten material is gone.  The soil should also be stirred for aeration and to allow the worms to move more freely.

Bugs and other pests

Using a container with a tight lid can help prevent many pests from infesting the worm farm but some are sneaky enough to make it in regardless.  Small vinegar flies are often a complaint among worm farmers.  This type of fly is of no harm to the worm farm but typically is a result of overfeeding.  Large flies appear when there is an abundance of food. 

Ants are also a common issue.  If ants are seen in the worm farm, the chances are pretty good that the soil is too dry.  Adding water to the soil to increase the moisture can help eliminate ants.  If using a worm farm that stands on legs, simply apply some petroleum jelly to the legs to prevent the ants from being able to climb up. 

Maggots can be found in worm farms where meat is offered to the worms.  The best scenario is to eliminate meat from the diet altogether.  If maggots have made their way into the worm farm, they can be eliminated by placing a milk soaked piece of bread into the farm; the maggots will be drawn to it and can simply be removed. 

Worms leave the farm

This topic leaves it up to the worm farmer to figure out what the problem is and fix it.  If a worm is leaving, he is unhappy with his environment and is in search of a more suitable one.  Worms will escape for reasons such as the soil being too dry or there isn't enough food.  On the other hand, soil that is too wet could also be affecting the worms, causing them to want to leave. 

The source of the problem should either be eliminated or fixed.  If the soil is too dry, fresh water should be added to the farm.  If it is too wet, the excess should be drained and new bedding should replace the old.  Locate the cause of the excess moisture and eliminate it. 

Ensure that the worms are getting enough food and the farm is in a location where the temperature will remain constant. 

Feeding

There may be some confusion on what to feed worms.  Appropriate foods to feed include fruits, vegetables, egg shells, greens, tea bags and coffee grounds and filters.  Non-food items can also be fed to the worms and include soaked cardboard, paper products, cotton rags, leaves, dirt and hair. 

More important are the items that should not be fed.  Dairy products, meat, citrus, onions and garden waste that has been treated with chemicals are all things to avoid in a worm farm.

These are just a few of the common topics when it comes to worm farming.  Although they are pretty easy to care for, it is important to realize the reason for some of the changes or issues noticed within the worm farm.  Problems should be corrected early to prevent the loss of the worms. 

Providing a proper environment, correct food, appropriate moisture level and temperature will help ensure a supply of happy and healthy worms.