1. Vermicomposting A Look ON How "You" Can Use Worms FOR Composting
4/13/2017
Vermicomposting
A Look ON How “You” Can Use Worms FOR Composting .
By: Casey Lunman (519)

2. Vermicomposting A Look ON How "You" Can Use Worms FOR Composting
4/13/2017
Definition of a Worm
any of numerous relatively small elongated soft-bodied animals
a person who has a nasty or unethical character undeserving of respect
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By: Casey Lunman (519)

3. Vermicomposting A Look ON How "You" Can Use Worms FOR Composting
4/13/2017
TYPES OF WORMS
There are four main groups
Flatworms Platyhelminthes
Ribbon worms Nemertea
Roundworms Nematoda
Segmented worms Annelida
Redworms are part of the Annelida family.
By: Casey Lunman (519)

4. Vermicomposting A Look ON How "You" Can Use Worms FOR Composting
4/13/2017
Anatomy of the Worm
Pharynx: used to grab food
Esophagus: gets pushed down the
esophagus, then onto the crop
Crop: the crop is a storage
compartment for food.
Gizzard: uses muscles that grind up
food
Intestine: digestive juices break
material down
Bloodstream: some of it will pass
into the bloodstream
Anus: whatever is leftover comes
out the anus as castings
By: Casey Lunman (519)

5. Vermicomposting A Look ON How "You" Can Use Worms FOR Composting
4/13/2017
Worm Facts
There are 4,400 species of worms
2,700 different kinds of earthworms
A worm has no arms, legs or eyes.
An earhtworm has five hearts
Earthworms do not have teeth
Earthworms lay eggs
Earthworms are invertebrates
The earthworm's body is covered with chemoreceptors (say kee-mow-ree-sep-tuz) which is how the worm tastes things. Chemoreceptors are tiny sense organs which detect chemicals in the soil.
Find out what the difference is between worms and earthworms?
Take a measuring tape to show the length of a 22 foot worm
Maybe find out what type of landscape transformation worms can have on an ecosystem
By: Casey Lunman (519)

6. Worm Facts Cont’d
In one acre of land, there can be more than a million earthworms.
The largest earthworm ever found was in South Africa and measured 22 feet from its nose to the tip of its tail.
Worms can grow a new tail, but not grow a new head if they are cut off.
Earthworms are hermaphodites
Charles Darwin spent 39 years studying earthworms more than 100 years ago.

7. Breeding Redworms reach breeding age in 9 to 12 weeks.
An adult redworm can lay one egg capsule a week. If they did???? Redworm Multiplication Chart for one year

8. Definition for Vermicomposting
Vermicomposting A Look ON How "You" Can Use Worms FOR Composting
4/13/2017
Definition for Vermicomposting
Vermicomposting is the process of breaking down organic waste material using red worms.
By: Casey Lunman (519)

9. Vermicomposting A Look ON How "You" Can Use Worms FOR Composting
4/13/2017
About the Red Worm
Red Wriggler (Lumbricus rubellus)
x 4-6 mm
Mature in 179 Days; longevity days
Eat half their body weight a day
Is known as a surface feeder
Redworms reach breeding age in 9 to 12 weeks
Egg capsules hatch in approximately 21 days
One capsule will have 2-12 redworm eggs and average 2 to 4 redworms actually hatching.
49,550 redworms from one redworm under optimal conditions for 365 days.
Bring a can of worms with you
By: Casey Lunman (519)

10. The Vermicomposting Process
Vermicomposting A Look ON How "You" Can Use Worms FOR Composting
4/13/2017
The Vermicomposting Process
Where Do I Start?
By: Casey Lunman (519)

11. Vermicomposting A Look ON How "You" Can Use Worms FOR Composting
First You Need A Bin!
4/13/2017
All Kinds of Types and Styles
Need to find How to Build a Plastic bin
By: Casey Lunman (519)

12. 2. Then you need
Worms tunnel deeply in the soil and bring subsoil closer to the surface mixing it with the topsoil. Slime, a secretion of earthworms, contains nitrogen. Nitrogen is an important nutrient for plants. The sticky slime helps to hold clusters of soil particles together in formations called aggregates.

13. Bedding The Following Materials are acceptable for Bedding
Any type of aged manure (avoid chicken; too hot!)
Straw or hay
Shredded newspaper, cardboard, leaves, or grass
Wood shavings (preferably mixed with one of the other materials)
Peat Moss (first soak and wring out, before adding; too acidic)
A combination of any of the above materials are acceptable!

14. Bedding Cont’d
Keep bedding material moist enough so that it feels like a well-wrung sponge.
Add at least six inches high of bedding material (no specified amount is necessary)
Worms will eat their own bedding

15. Aeration
Holes must be drilled either through the lid of your container or on the sides; doing both is recommended.
Either make holes very small or cover with screening to avoid fruit flies.

16. Drainage Is very important Drill holes in bottom of bin
Cover holes with screening
Make sure to have a catch basin underneath bin
Use your excess liquid as compost tea for plants

17. Location
Worms live where there is food, moisture, oxygen and a favorable temperature. If they don’t have these things, they go somewhere else.
Vibration
Prefer damp, dark areas

18. Can You Vermicompost Outdoors?
You can leave your bin outdoors during the summer (keep well secured from rodents)
Build an insulated bin (search internet for ideas or use your imagination)
Place in an area that gets lots of warm sunlight

19. Location Cont’d? Worms are cold-blooded animals
Ideal temperature is anywhere between 15 to 30 degrees celsius

20. The Feeding Always feed worms as soon as you add them to your bin
Feed at least once or twice per week
Make sure food is covered
The smaller the food scrap the faster it will be turned to compost
Crushed egg shells reduce acidity and adds calcium

21. The Feeding Cont’d Worms Vs. Waste
Red worms eat half of their body weight a day; that means 1lb. ( worms) equals ½ a lb. a day equaling 3½ lbs. a week.
Average household (4 or 5 people) throws away 7 lbs of food wastes per week. This would mean 2lbs. of worms would be necessary.
Find out how much your household throws away a week.

22. What Is a Worms Meal Plan?
A Healthy Diet
Any type of fruit or vegetable (excluding: see non-healthy list)
Coffee grinds/tea bags
Egg shells
Nut shells
Bread
Leaves
Shredded paper products
Sawdust/Shavings
Straw
Grass Clippings
Weeds
Corn Stalks
Any type of manure (excluding: see non-healthy list)
A Non-Healthy Diet
Meat
Dairy
Chicken Manure
Cabbage
Onion
Garlic
Hot Peppers
Any hot spices
Salt

23. Time to Harvest What am I Harvesting?
Castings:
Is the excrement from the worm
They provide slow release nutrients
Contain a high percentage of humus a) defender of disease b) stimulates plant growth c) increases water permeability and retention
Found to contain 5x’s more nitrogen, 7x’s more phosphate, 40% more humus

24. Harvesting
Method 1: Move worms and finished compost to one side of bin, then add bedding and food scraps to the other side of your worm bin. Then after worms have moved to the other side you can remove the finished vermicompost.

25. Harvesting Cont’d
Method 2: Empty the contents of your worm bin onto a plastic sheet where there is strong sunlight or artificial light. Wait minutes, then scrape off the top layer of vermicompost. The worms will keep moving away from the light, so you can scrape more compost off every 20 minutes or so. After several scrapings, you will find worms in clusters; just pick up the worms and gently return them to the bin in fresh bedding.

26. Vermicomposting A Look ON How "You" Can Use Worms FOR Composting
4/13/2017
Harvesting Cont’d
Method 3: build a small harvester frame of 2 x 4s with a 3/16-inch mesh bottom. Place the worm compost on the frame and sift the worms out. Larger pieces of compost can be returned to a new batch of bedding and worms.
Might as well build it
By: Casey Lunman (519)

27. Problems With the Bin? Here’s What you can Do!
Solution
i) Make sure food is covered, don’t
feed for a week
ii) Add straw, leaves or sawdust
iii) Drill larger holes, leave lid off
i) Feed them
ii) Cover drainage holes with
screening
i) Add straw or manure
ii) Change bin location (vibration)
Indicated Problem
Rotten smell (uncovered food, poor aeration, overfeeding, bin to wet)
Worms are leaving the bin (hungry, poor conditions)
Worms are not multiplying (poor conditions)

28. Problems With the Bin Cont’d
Indicated Problem
Fruit Flies (uncovered food scraps)
Worms are Dying (bins to wet or to dry)
Solution
i) Bury all food scraps completely and cover the entire top with bedding
ii) Mix in dry bedding if wet, dampen bedding if dry

29. Why Would I Want to Vermicompost?
Vermicomposting A Look ON How "You" Can Use Worms FOR Composting
4/13/2017
Why Would I Want to Vermicompost?
Benefits
Ready for use in only three months or less
You can do it indoors; especially during those cold winter
months
Keeps waste from filling up our landfills
Educational for people of all ages
Produces a sweet smelling compost, rich in nutrients
Ideal for plants and gardens
The worms turn and aerate the pile, so you don’t have to
Regular compost needs to be aged
Can be used in an office or apartment building
Saves you money by reducing your costs on other fertilizers
To complete the Dale Carnegie Training® Evidence – Action – Benefit formula, follow the action step with the benefits to the audience. Consider their interests, needs, and preferences. Support the benefits with evidence; i.e., statistics, demonstrations, testimonials, incidents, analogies, and exhibits and you will build credibility.
By: Casey Lunman (519)

30. Vermicomposting A Look ON How "You" Can Use Worms FOR Composting
4/13/2017
General Information
Casey Lunman Owen Sound, Ontario Phone: or
Cathy's Crawly Composters Bradford, Ontario Phone:
Canadian Original Vermicomposting Al Eggen Toronto, Ontario Phone: (416) Fax: (416)
The Worm Factory Janet and Jack Livingstone Perth, Ontario Phone: (613) Fax: (613)
Pennie's Lane to Vermicomposting Penny Bernas Paris, Ontario phone fax
Web Wiggler Worms John Briese Brampton ON Phone
Arbour Environmental Shoppe Ottawa, Ontario Ph Fax Adrienne Armstrong
Green Venture Hamilton, Ontario
Next, state the action step. Make your action step specific, clear and brief. Be sure you can visualize your audience taking the action. If you can’t, they can’t either. Be confident when you state the action step, and you will be more likely to motivate the audience to action.
By: Casey Lunman (519)

31. Vermicomposting A Look ON How "You" Can Use Worms FOR Composting
4/13/2017
Close
In India 1,000 farmers have reduced their chemical fertilizers by 90% by using vermicompost as a soil amendment for growing grapes, pomegranates, and bananas. Similar work is underway on mangoes, cashews, coconuts, oranges, limes, strawberries and various vegetable crops.
Could we do this? Yes or No
To close, restate the action step followed by the benefits. Speak with conviction and confidence, and you will sell your ideas.
By: Casey Lunman (519)