the worm works
Operating Guidelines Worm composting is an incredibly efficient way to quickly convert domestic food and paper waste into nutrient-rich compost for your garden. The worm works unique design automatically separates food scraps from finished compost. Simply fill the bottom tray with dendrobaena worms, bedding, and food scraps. As the worms finish digesting, they will migrate upward into the tray above, leaving rich castings behind. Excess liquid drains through the trays to the catch basin below as a nutrient rich compost tea. In full operation, The worm works houses 10,000 to 12,000 worms that can consume 3-4 kgs. of food a week, allowing you to harvest a full tray of castings per month. Each worm works comes with full instructions and everything you need to get started except the worms.
Copyright 2007 Cascade Sales Inc.
Table of Contents Parts list ....................................................... 2 Assembling The worm works . ................... 3 Getting started . ........................................... 4 Establishing the feeding tray . ...................... 5 Upward migration, how it works .................. 6 Managing the top feeding tray . ................... 7 Choosing the right worms ............................ 8 Vermicompost and compost tea . .............. 12 Adding worms .............................................. 5 Upward Migration . ...................................... 6 Managing the feeding tray ........................... 7 Feeding your worms .................................... 9
Collecting natural bedding materials .......... Raising worms for fishing . .......................... Maintaining the environment ....................... Dealing with pests ....................................... Dealing with odours .................................... Something’s growing in the tray . ............... Weekly health checkup ............................... Recovering Vermicompost .......................... Going on vacation ....................................... Just for avid gardeners ............................... Bin management review.............................. Recommended food list ..............................
Your worm works kit contains the following parts 1 Base with legs 1 Holding tray with side hole for spigot 1 collection tray with side hole for spigot 3 to 5 stacking trays with grid bottoms (as ordered)
1 Lid with 2 plastic holding clips 2 – 1/4" x 3/4" bolts (AF) 1 Lever tap spigot and spigot nut Package of shredded paper 1 coir brick
Tools Needed: You will need a screwdriver with a crosshead blade and possibly an adjustable wrench.
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Assembling The worm works 1. Separate the stacking trays from the other parts. You may have 3 to 5 trays depending on your order. working tray
2. Locate the 2 trays with drilled holes on the side and the modified tray used as the base.
collection tray base tray
3. Locate two 1/4" x 3/4" stainless bolts. Place the holding tray with the drilled hole over the base tray. Place the screws at opposite corners. Apply pressure to screwdriver to drive bolts through the aligned grids.
holding tray
4. Place the collection tray into the holding tray, and align the spigot holes.
5. Locate the plastic
*Optional Lid holding clip
Push the Holding Clip along the edge of the Lid and Top Tray to secure the Lid to the Tray.
lever tap (spigot) and the large plastic nut. Insert the spigot through the holding tray and aligned collection tray. Thread the plastic nut on the plastic tap and firmly tighten by hand to secure the collecting tray. Make sure threads align properly before tightening nut.
6. Stack the remaining trays on top of the collecting tray.
Lid
CAUTION: We recommend the worm works is NOT exposed to strong, direct sun, cold, wind or rain. See details on page 7.
Tray 3
Getting Started Once you have completed the assembly of The worm works you are ready to prepare the worm bedding and add your worms.
NOTE: When referring to the trays in The worm works the top tray is always referred to as the working tray. Lower trays are referred to as processing trays.
1. Place an empty tray (Working Tray) on top of the collection tray.
2. Line the bottom of the working tray with 3 or 4 sheets of newspaper.
3. To make your tray bedding, soak the block of coir in a container with about 3 litres of water for an hour, then shred the waterlogged brick. Wring out excess water and mix the loose coir with a cup of a mixture of active compost*, rich dark dirt, crushed egg shells and/or sand. Then, mix the coir with the shredded paper included with your worm works. 4. Spread freshly mixed
*You can use compost from your garden bin, however, if that is not available, use decayed leaf litter from beneath your shrubs.
bedding on top of the newspaper in the working tray.
5. Place 2 handfuls of food waste in one corner of the working tray on top of bedding. (See section on food for more information.) Cover with 5-7.5cm of shredded moist newspaper. Then cover with 3 or 4 sheets of newspaper. Place the lid over the material in the working tray. Set aside the remaining trays for future use. The worm works is now ready for your worms to arrive. 4
Adding Worms In most cases, worms are not included when you purchase The worm works. When purchasing worms separately, make sure you buy the proper variety and enough quantity for a healthy population in The worm works. You can start with as few as a quarter kilogram of worms (approximately 500), however, a half kilogram or 1000 worms will work even better, and if you really want to jump start The worm works, start with a full kilogram of Dendrobaena.
It is important to have The worm works and the bedding ready to receive the worms as soon as they arrive.
When your worms arrive they are packed in a special bedding material. Open the worm box, then lift the top layer of moist newspaper in the working tray and gently place the worms and the bedding on the bed you prepared in the working tray. Worms can become stressed during shipment. They may take a week or so to settle in. Leave a light on at night to encourage them to burrow into their new home. A common mistake is to overfeed your worms when you start using The worm works. Be patient. Once the worms are in place, set an empty After three days remove the empty tray and tray on top of the working tray then put the lid. Lift the layer of moist newspaper and look lid in the empty tray. to see that the worms are actively involved in the food waste. If they are crawling in and around the food in the working tray, then add more handfuls of food waste to the original food in the working tray. Cover the new food with the layer of moist newspaper. It may take up to one or two months to eventually fill the working tray to a depth of 7.5-10cm. Once the working tray is full, set an empty tray directly on top of it. The full tray is now a processing tray and the new tray is your working tray. You can now begin adding food to the new working tray. Be sure to keep it covered with a layer of moist newspaper. NOTE: Your worms will require at least a month to become fully acclimated to The worm works and for the micro-organisms to populate the bins. It is essential that you allow this process to take place. Both worms and microbes are essential to the operation of The worm works. Do not expect to see the food disappear before your eyes. Caution: Do not overfeed your worms. Place only a few handfuls of food in the working tray at a time, and only add food when you can see that the worms are actively working in the food you added most recently.
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Here is how The worm works works! Upward Migration Worm Bin Lid
working tray #1
processing tray #2
Dendrobaena or European nightcrawlers (E.hortensis), the worms used in The worm works, are always on the move. Naturally, they migrate up and down, back and forth. The worm works design encourages mostly upward migration. By always adding new food on the top-most working tray, it encourages the worms to make their way up through the grid in the bottom of the tray above; searching out the new food. Over time, the food in the bottom processing tray is exhausted and converted into castings which are highly nutritious compost.
processing tray #3
Collecting tray with spigot
Once the worms have turned the material in the bottom processing tray into rich black compost, dump the contents of the finished processing tray in your garden and place it as the top working tray on your worm works, ready to begin the cycle all over again. If you discover worms in the collection tray, just scoop them into the working tray or dump them in the garden along with the compost. The Plastic Lid is a close fit in the Working Tray, its sole purpose is to keep light out of the top bin. If the optional Lid Holding Clips are in place the Lid will resist most attempts to remove it by children or the wind.
The collection tray Worms require a moist environment but not a saturated one. The worm works design allows excess moisture to move downward through the processing trays and into the collecting tray. The gathered juice is called leachate. It is not unusual to find worms in the collection tray. The tapered pan allows them to reenter the tray above. If you find worms in the collection tray, just scoop them into the working tray. As you add food to the working tray, your worms will be actively reducing it to compost. Make sure that you allow the working tray to fill to a depth of 7–10cm of material before adding a new working tray. Over time, your worms will reduce the volume of the material by 2/3, however, it is not advised to add new food or fibre to the lower processing trays. We recommend that you only add food to the top tray — the working tray. 6
Managing the top feeding tray When you first start your worm works the top tray is the working tray. As you add trays, the original working tray becomes processing tray 2; processing tray 2 becomes processing tray 3. The top tray remains the working tray and the material in it should be configured from the top down as follows: The close fitting plastic lid to keep light out of the working tray. A layer of three or four sheets moist newspaper or a brown paper bag. A layer consisting of one or more of the following: Moist shredded cardboard Moist shredded newspaper Moist shredded junk mail – Absolutely no plastic or plastic “paper” and no metallic inks please! A layer consisting of one or more of the following: Old leaves (not green) Pre composted grass clippings Other composted plant material A bottom layer of food waste. Worms need space to move around and the mid layer is where they like to hang out when not working in the food scrap layer. Always place food waste under moist paper and other composted materials. CAUTION: Dendrobena worms should never be exposed to direct sun, cold wind or rain. Here’s why: In direct sun, it only takes a few hours for the top tray to reach over 49C, and will simply cook your worms. In cold and wind the bedding temperature can drop rapidly below 10C. The compost process stops and the worms will hibernate. If you continue to add waste food scraps and paper, it will simply create a very smelly mess. Keep your worm works cool in the summer, and warm in the winter. As you begin working with The worm works, “experience will be the best teacher,” however, reading the instructions in this booklet carefully will ultimately save you time and help ensure your success. There are dozens of books on the topic of raising worms, written by everyone from respected scientists to just folks with lots of experience. They cover many topics you may find interesting but have nothing to do with operating The worm works you now own. The information in this booklet, however, focuses on the unique operation of The worm works and gives you the information you need to be successful. 7
Worms Earthworms have been around for millions of years and have survived in the most extreme conditions. They are found in all parts of the world with the exception of harsh deserts and arctic regions. There are many thousands of varieties of what can be called worms. Some are even used in medical research. We will focus on the group called “Dendrobaena.” Dendrobaena have what can be described as a rudimentary digestive system. Because they have no teeth and very few digestive fluids, they depend on bacteria, fungi, molds, and other organisms to predigest their food. In other words, worms can survive on any organic matter, including cellulose, wood fibres, and starches, however they need help to break down the fibres. Useable worm food is created when plant growth has stopped and the cells become separated by either bacterial action and/or oxidation (exposure to air and water). That is what is going on in a well established and well-managed worm works. Worms do not eat garbage directly; garbage first must be broken down so they can digest it. Each species of worm has a favorite food and habitat. Although we do not recommend you use animal manure in your worm works, you will find earthworms anywhere manure is found. Commercial worm growers often use animal manure and paper waste as primary feed stocks. It’s important to note commercial growers raise a variety of species for many uses and the methods they use have no bearing on the function of your worm works. Every 3 months, dendrobaenas in The worm works can be expected to double in population. Each tray can hold about 1.3Kg of worms, or about 3,000 worms. Overpopulation is not a concern as worms can migrate freely between trays and some worms will always wind up in your garden. All this brings us back to the main purpose of The worm works: to recycle kitchen scraps and other household materials in a defined, controlled environment, with the goal to produce what many vermiculture enthusiasts refer to as “black gold” compost or worm castings, a favourite of all gardeners. You may never again need to resort to chemical fertilizers. Worms in nature control most of their environment. However, because the worms are taken out of the ground and placed into bins, you must play an important role in the management of The worm works environment to insure their health and survival.
The key factors for success Bedding — Food — Temperature Moisture — Oxygen Bedding The worm works comes with basic bedding materials: coir brick, and shredded paper. You want to create a bed that will allow excessive moisture to drain while at the same time hold moisture. It can’t be too coarse, but bedding requires space for air to move through. A good bedding mix is always a mixture of several materials. 8
Coir is ground coconut fibre. It is the most desirable bedding material because it retains moisture and improves the quality of the worm castings that go into your garden. Coir is available at many garden centers and nurseries. Shredded paper is inexpensive. Just recycle the daily paper, glossy paper or computer paper. Avoid plastic coated papers. Be careful: too much paper will mat in clumps. Mix shredded paper with leaves or shredded corrugated cardboard. When possible, set aside a couple of bags of leaves each autumn. Paper egg cartons, shredded and soaked in water also make good bedding material. You will also need something to help keep your bedding loose and allow air to pass through. Powdered rock or crushed egg shell can accomplish this and both will benefit your garden. Add a small amount of soil or active compost to your initial working tray when you first set up your worm works to introduce the healthy microbes worms rely on. The grit in soil, finely ground eggshells or sand is also used in the worm gizzard to allow the worms to digest what they eat.
Food The main source of food will come from your own resources. Acceptable foods include vegetables, fruits, starches, egg shells, coffee grounds, paper and cardboard. Avoid salty foods, citrus peels, oils like those found in salad dressings, meat, and dairy products. Worms can survive on any vegetable matter. Your kitchen and your garden will provide all the food your worms can eat. The worm works is what could be called a “cool composter” operating between 16–26 degrees celsius (C). In contrast, a “hot” outdoor compost bin with fresh grass cuttings can range from 65–71 degrees celsius. Composted garden and grass clippings can be used for food and bedding after they first are broken down in a hot composter. Remember, never use fresh cut grass clipping in your worm works. Doing so can cause your worms to get too hot.
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Small is better when it comes to adding food to your worm works. Some folks even puree food scraps, and others first freeze them to help break down the material. You want to achieve a soft food which will break down more quickly. An easy and effective alternative is to place your food scraps into a plastic container with a little water. Cover and microwave for 5 to 6 minutes. After cooling, the “cooked” food is broken down and ready for the worm composting process.
Temperature Dendrobaena normally live and feed within a few centimetres of the ground surface. The ground maintains a consistent temperature. In extreme heat or cold, dendrobaena will go as deep as 60cm under the surface to maintain their temperature. When we put dendrobaena in plastic bins above ground, we must consider their natural behavior as a factor when managing The worm works. Worms thrive in temperatures between 16–26 degrees celsius. They will slow down in cold or hot conditions. When in temperatures of 32 to 38 degrees, they will go to the lower trays and must be kept moist. Never place The worm works in direct sunlight. Find a cool shady spot with plenty of air movement. In northern climates The worm works must be kept indoors during the winter. Dendrobaena will not survive freezing conditions. A well established and well-managed worm works will not create any offensive odours.
Moisture Dendrobaena require moisture to breathe because they take in oxygen through their skin and will die if they dry out. The moisture in bedding should range from 60% to 80%. Without an expensive meter, how can you determine the moisture? Here is where experience comes into play. First, you observe. You should never see dry scraps, especially paper, in a working tray, next, use the squeeze test. Hold a small amount of bedding between two fingers and squeeze. You want to see a drop or two of water. If it is too dry, you have several options. You can add wet shredded paper, or spray water on the tray. In very dry conditions, small amounts of water can be poured and let it work its way down. It’s not a bad idea to always keep the valve in the collection tray open with a plastic tub under it. This will help you monitor the moisture in your bins. You always want to see water passing through the working trays. Remember, all your fruits and vegetables are made up of lots of water. The worm works runs a little dry in contrast to sealed vermiculture systems because it is so well aerated. Don’t be too concerned if very little leachate is produced. 10
You can stir up the bin with a hand rake to let in oxygen. It is possible to drown the worms with too much water, but potentially the biggest problem is the fact that excessive water compacts the bedding creating thick globs. If you find your bedding too wet or with a bad odour, add dry shredded paper. After a while, you can judge the condition of the bedding by just looking at it.
Oxygen The movement of oxygen through the bedding is essential. Unlike some composting worm bins that are sealed, The worm works allows air to freely pass between working trays. Some folks even drill small holes in the side of the plastic working tray to increase airflow. It is very important to keep The worm works in an area or room with good ventilation.
Choosing the right worms The worm works is a vermicomposter, and you need worms that will do the job. There are several good vermicomposting worm varieties, but one stands above the rest: The DENDROBAENA. Hageglede vil kunne levere Dendrobaena “Red Mosemark� In nature, many earthworms live in permanent burrows in solitude. They are excellent soil aerators in the garden, however, we want a worm that is communal, burrows randomly through the litter layer of top soil. We want the DENDROBAENA available from Finnis Organic Worms.
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The most important characteristic of the DENDROBAENA is that they love DARKNESS and hate LIGHT. Keeping worms inside the bin can be a big challenge. Some other varieties are accustomed to light and will exit the working tray without any warning or notice. Rain or any low pressure weather system may cause the Dendrobaena worms to behave differently. They may crawl up to the top or down into the collection tray. however, they are hardy work horses, stay in the bin, and rarely escape. We received an E-mail from a gentlemen who had carefully collected worms, a few at a time, in his backyard. He ended up with a bin of free earthworms that refused to stay in The worm works trays because the habitat and the food wasn’t what they wanted or needed to survive. You may recall that you can also find earthworms anywhere that manure is found, however, many varieties of worms cannot live in a vermicomposting environment. Make sure you order your worms from Finnis Organic Worms, who have the right variety, and not from the local bait shop.
Feeding your worms Organic bedding is necessary to operate your worm works. As a result, everything in the bedding is food for your worms. Remember, the smaller and softer the bedding, the better the environment for the bacteria, fungi, molds, and protozoa to prepare the food for the worms. You can add new food to the uppermost working tray at any time. Worms will eat 3 times their weight in a week or more, so one kilogram of worms will consume three kilograms of waste and organic fibre, however, you can overfeed your worms.
Using your Vermicompost and compost tea As your worms work into the upper working tray, the bottom processing trays will contain worms, worm castings, broken-down organic matter, bedding, and other organisms called vermicompost. Use it in your garden or for house plants to enrich the physical condition of the soil and increase the organic content. Don’t worry if there are a few worms. They will find new homes in your garden without disturbing the local ecological balance. Leachate is the liquid that collects in the bottom tray, and it is rich in organic matter and plant nutrients. Before applying leachate directly, it is a good idea to pour it from one bucket to another to add oxygen. You can use it full strength on your outside plants. For houseplants, dilute it using one part water to one part leachate. You can also recycle leachate back through your worm works. To make fresh compost tea mix 1 cup of well processed castings in a gallon of water. Steep overnight, shake, mix or aerate with an aquarium pump if desired. Then use the solution within 12 hours to water or spray plants. 12
Collecting Leaves By far the best and least expensive way to make your worms work at top speed is to give them leaves from trees gathered in the Autumn. Place dry leaves on the top of the working tray to help manage fruit flies. Add them to your bedding; mixing it with shredded paper. Use them wet or dry to help manage your bedding moisture. However, NEVER use leaves from plants such as bay, eucalyptus, or magnolia trees, and never use needles from pine, fir, or cedar trees.
Raising worms for Fishing Most fishermen have a bias for the large earthworm called the blackhead. Even for commercial growers, the blackhead are very difficult to raise because they burrow deep in the ground. A little known fact is that Dendrobaena have an advantage for fishermen over the blackhead. Dendrobaena will stay alive for several days in water and continue to wiggle on the hook, whereas blackheads die almost immediately.
Dendrobaena are usually 6–8cm long, and make great fish bait. You can even fatten them up by feeding them a cereal-based meal, details of which are available on the website (www.finnisorganicworms.co.uk or www.thewormworks.com) or by contacting us directly at Finnis Organic Worms, 135 Carrigagh Rd., Dromara, Dromore, Co. Down, N. Ireland BT252HR, Tel (02897532686), Fax (02897532194), or email info@thewormworks.com.
That brings up the subject of feeding worms with foods other than your household wastes. You can buy books used by commercial growers with complicated feed formulas using manure, sewer sludge, and grains of all kinds. It’s a lot of work, and your Worm Worms may prove too small to warrant such extreme feeding tactics. However, one thing you can do is to ask your local coffee shop for a bag of their old coffee grounds if you run short on food. Your worms will appreciate it. 13
Dealing with pests There are books written on this subject. Most commercial growers raise their worms in windrows on the ground. As a result, ants attack, slugs raid, and sow bugs ravage their worms. You should not have the same experience with The worm works. You may, however, notice other creatures in your worm works from time to time, some of which are a part of the composting process, such as springtails, mites, white pot worms and moulds. It is very unlikely that you will ever find house fly larva in your worm works. A complete list of invertebrates and other things found in vermiculture can be found online at www.happydranch.com/invetebrates.html The fruit fly is by far the biggest problem, especially if you keep your worms inside in the winter. These guys arrive on the skins of fruits and vegetables. You can make fly traps, use chrysanthemum bug spray, or make it difficult for them to exit. Place an empty working tray on top full of dry shredded paper or dry leaves through which the flies must pass to get out of the bin. They become discouraged very quickly. Beneficial nematodes, available at many garden centers, are also an excellent biological control for fruit flies and springtails.
Unpleasant Odours In a well established and well-managed worm works there is no odour unless you actually open it up. If it does start to make a big stink, however, with the odour of a sewer or rotten eggs, it is not being managed correctly. Excess water and/or overfeeding are the likely problems. Most foods contain a high percentage of water, especially pureed fruit. If the bedding becomes compressed and water-logged, it will restrict the flow of oxygen needed for the compost process to work. To correct the problem, first stop feeding. Next, add dry bedding materials: shredded paper, dry coir, dry leaves, or broken up corrugated cardboard will work. Mix the contents to immediately aerate the bin. Another possibility could be the food you are adding. Meat scraps, dairy products, and oily foods could be the problem. If you continue to have an unpleasant odour, gently stir up the entire bin periodically to create more air spaces. You are trying to add oxygen and the air pockets will allow this to happen. Be careful. Worms can become stressed which will result in them grouping up in a ball or even crawling out of the bin. 14
Finding things growing in the working trays Sometimes, seeds from food scraps sprout. Microwaving your food scraps will help. Other things such as moulds may also grow. Have no fear! Mould is a part of the natural composting process and should be no problem. If however, too much mould remains, it may be an indication that you are feeding too much.
Weekly review At first it may sound strange, but you will actually get to know your worms. Worms don’t appreciate you digging around too much, however, you do need to check up on them. In addition to regular feeding, a weekly review of the working tray is a good idea. Look around. Are the worms moving up? Is there an “earthy odour” like the soil in your garden? Do the worms have a moist layer of slime on their bodies? Do the worms quickly bury themselves when exposed to light? Do you see small “young” worms? If you see evidence of dry conditions, add moisture. A sour odour may indicate overfeeding or too much moisture. Take steps to correct these conditions at once.
Recovering Vermicompost Once all of the trays (3,4, or 5) are full, the compost in the bottom processing tray is ready for your garden or house plants. The bin’s contents will be nearly black, and the chunks of matter are small. Tip the material out and, if possible, wash out the tray over an area you want to apply compost, such as a lawn or flowerbed. Check the collection tray. If you find worms, gather them up and put them in the working tray. Occasionally, you will find a very fine, dark material in the collection tray. Scoop it out, add it to a small container of water, and it will dissolve into compost tea. Remember, the dendrobaena lives in nature in the top 25cm of the litter layer consisting of leaves with humus, so the dendrobaena will not survive in your garden of clay soil. Dendrobaena are most comfortable under trees, shrubs, or a layer of compost. Once you have emptied the bottom tray of completed compost, add more bedding as necessary and place the tray atop The worm works as the working tray and begin the process once again.
Going on Holiday Worms can function just fine for up to a month without any care. The biggest concern is not enough moisture, and that is only a problem in extremely dry conditions with low humidity. Add moist shredded paper or cardboard to the bin before leaving on holiday. This will feed your worms while you are away. Extra food waste can cause your bin to heat up and the worms will do fine feeding on just the paper. Alternatively, Finnis Organic Worms supply 2kg of a concentrated cereal based feed, Worm Meal, which is an excellent treat for them while you are away.
Just for avid gardeners While a sensitive touch and experience work for most folks, some gardeners have meters to read both moisture and the pH levels. Either way, try to keep the moisture in your worm works between 60% and 80% indoors and somewhat dryer out of doors. If your bin is too dry, ants may enter your bin and cause problems. Without going into detail, the composting process can create an excessive acid problem. You can test pH with a simple kit from most garden centres. Worms enjoy a pH of between 7 and 8. A safe way to deal with acid is to add crushed eggshells, rock dust, crushed limestone, crushed oyster shells, or calcium carbonate in small amounts. The lime supplied by Finnis Organic Worms is ideal for this purpose. However, NEVER use, quicklime, slaked lime, plaster lime or any sort of salt or soda products. 15
Basic Bin Management Place several sheets of moist newspaper directly under the plastic lid covering the working tray.
Moisture Control Worms require moisture so be sure to check your bedding regularly. Use the squeeze test (see page 10) to see if adequate moisture is present. To increase moisture, recycle the liquid from the collection tray or add wet fibre: shredded newspaper, cardboard, etc. To reduce moisture, add dry fibre including shredded paper, cardboard, peat moss, or coir which we advise as an environmentally friendly alternative to peat moss, etc.
Optimum temperature for The worm works ranges between 5 and 26 degrees celsius. Keep The worm works in a dry, cool covered area. Never allow The worm works to sit in the rain or direct sun. Never allow The worm works to freeze.
Feeding Guidelines Add more food only if the worms are actively involved in the food waste already there. Avoid overfeeding. Feed your worms a balanced diet of 50% kitchen scraps and 50% fibre. Always place new food under the layer of moist newspaper beneath the plastic lid.
Fibre Sources Shredded paper from magazines, cardboard, paper egg cartons, dryer lint, vacuum dust, Kleenex, napkins, paper towels, and junk mail.
Food Sources Breakfast: toast, oatmeal, muffins, cereal, fruit scraps, and finely crushed eggshells. Lunch and Dinner: all vegetables including corn, broccoli, cabbage, onions, beans, tomatoes, squash, carrots, peas, cooked potatoes, and green salad — hold the dressing. Grain based foods such as breads, pasta, rice, and even pizza crust — but not the cheese and meat toppings. Note: Use caution when adding grain based foods. Excessive grain based foods such as bread or pasta can cause The worm works to overheat. Dessert: melon, banana, pineapple, apple, grapes, peaches, plums, berries, baker’s yeast. Beverages: coffee grounds with filters, tea bags with paper bags. (Remove the plastic tags, strings, and staples.) Side orders: dead flower bouquets, dead disease-free plants, dried leaves gathered in the Autumn. Remember, finer is better. The smaller the bits of food in the working tray, the faster the worms will turn it into rich, dark compost for your garden. A special thank you to the Washington State University Extension Service for providing this list of recommended foods for your worms. 16