The Worm Farmer’s Handbook

The Worm Farmer’s Handbook
Author: Rhonda Sherman
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing
Total Pages: 258
Release: 2018-11-08
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 1603587802

Choice Reviews, Outstanding Academic Title Techniques and systems for processing food scraps, manure, yard debris, paper, and more Turning waste into wealth sounds too good to be true, but many worm farmers are finding that vermicomposting is a reliable way to do just that. Vermicast—a biologically active, nutrient-rich mix of earthworm castings and decomposed organic matter—sells for $400 or more per cubic yard. Compare that to regular compost, sold at about $30 a cubic yard, and you’ll see why vermicomposting has taken root in most countries and on every continent but Antarctica. Vermicomposting is also one of the best sustainable solutions for organic waste management. Vermicomposting manure and crop wastes on farms improves crop yields while reducing demand for off-farm inputs. Vermicast has higher nutrient levels and lower soluble salt content than regular compost, and it improves soil aeration, porosity, and water retention. Plus, vermicast suppresses plant diseases and insect attacks. Municipalities, businesses, community gardens, schools, and universities can set up vermicomposting operations to process food residuals and other waste materials. The Worm Farmer’s Handbook details the ins and outs of vermicomposting for mid- to large-scale operations, including how to recycle organic materials ranging from food wastes and yard trimmings to manure and shredded office paper. Vermicomposting expert Rhonda Sherman shares what she has learned over twenty-five years working with commercial worm growers and researchers around the world. Her profiles of successful worm growers across the United States and from New Zealand to the Middle East and Europe describe their proven methods and systems. This book digs into all the details, including: Choosing the right production system Regulatory issues and developing a business and marketing plan Finding and managing feedstocks Pre-composting: why and how to do it Monitoring an active worm bed Harvesting, screening, testing, packaging, and storing vermicast Markets for earthworms and vermicast Food security: how vermicast benefits soils and plants Keys to success: avoiding common pitfalls From livestock farms and restaurants to colleges, military bases, and prisons, Sherman details why and how commercial-scale vermicomposting is a fast-growing, sustainable solution for organic waste management. The Worm Farmer’s Handbook is the first and only authoritative how-to guide that goes beyond small-scale operations and demystifies the science and logistics of the fascinating process that is vermicomposting.

How to Start a Profitable Worm Business on a Shoestring Budget

How to Start a Profitable Worm Business on a Shoestring Budget
Author: Stephan Kloppert
Publisher: Srk Publications
Total Pages: 148
Release: 2014-01-01
Genre: Earthworms
ISBN: 9780620575836

This book will teach you in easy to follow steps all you need to know to make money with earthworms. Whether you just want to make some pocket money selling bait worms to keen fishermen or want to become your own boss and create a full time income, you will learn proven low cost methods to start a profitable worm business and make your mark in the constantly growing market of the worm farming industry. If you are looking for a way to create extra income from home, using very little space and just a tiny investment then worm composting could be the right thing for you. Raising earthworms and making money with them is fun and can be done by virtually anyone! No special skills required! Follow the guidelines given in this book and raise and multiply earthworms easily. With a small investment and a little effort you, with the help of your worms, will be able to produce and sell several products that are environmentally friendly and beneficial for a wide variety of people. Amongst your future customers could be nurseries, gardeners, pet shops, garden centers, pet lovers, property developers, fishing clubs, hotels, guest houses, restaurants, private households, dog owners, horse stables, farmers, schools, universities and many more... Everything you need to know to create an income with earthworms has been tried and tested by the author and is covered in this book! Detailed instructions make it easy to multiply your worms and produce your own range of worm bins, organic fertilizers and soil conditioners that you can market to your future customers. Act now, start your own environmentally friendly business from home and step forward into a brighter future

Raising Earthworms for Profit

Raising Earthworms for Profit
Author: Earl B. Shields
Publisher:
Total Pages: 128
Release: 1994-01-01
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 9780914116219

"A multi-million dollar market, earthworms for bait, earthworms for breeding stock, earthworms for soil improvement.

Raising Earthworms for Fun and Profit

Raising Earthworms for Fun and Profit
Author: Daniel C. Merrill
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
Total Pages: 110
Release: 2011-04-20
Genre: Reference
ISBN: 1462852939

COMPOSTING YOUR KITCHEN WASTE AND NEWSPAPER WITH EARTHWORMS IS EASY AND FUN. MORE IMPORTANTLY IT IS THE ENVIRONMENTALLY CORRECT THING TO DO -TURN YOUR HOUSE HOLD WASTE INTO VALUABLE ORGANIC FERTILIZERS. -TURN YOUR HOBBY INTO A MONEY MAKING OPERATION -LEARN A SURE FIRE WAY TO SELL THOSE WORMS -DO YOUR PART TO SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT -START ON A SHOE STRING GET THOSE WORMS FOR FREE! The amount of quality information in this book is astonishing.. - Andy Robins There never was an easier more satisfying way to supplement your income, Doc tells you how to do it.. J. Smith Everyone should be doing this... - Cherry Littlefield

Raising African Nightcrawlers

Raising African Nightcrawlers
Author: Bruce Galle
Publisher: CreateSpace
Total Pages: 30
Release: 2013-08-21
Genre: House & Home
ISBN: 9781492221302

Raising African Nightcrawlers shows anyone, even the beginner how to raise these worms which are the best fishing, composting and worm casting producers. The book shows how to make simple worm bins from Rubbermaid style bins, step by step with pictures to illustrate each step. Also gives rough outline for building a stacking tray system. You get all the information from Bruce Galle in this book including where and how to sell your worms and worm castings should you wish to! Bruce aka The Worm Expert takes you step by step and even offers a trouble shooting guide for your worms and steps to help prevent it.

Managing Cover Crops Profitably (3rd Ed. )

Managing Cover Crops Profitably (3rd Ed. )
Author: Andy Clark
Publisher: DIANE Publishing
Total Pages: 248
Release: 2008-07
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 1437903797

Cover crops slow erosion, improve soil, smother weeds, enhance nutrient and moisture availability, help control many pests and bring a host of other benefits to your farm. At the same time, they can reduce costs, increase profits and even create new sources of income. You¿ll reap dividends on your cover crop investments for years, since their benefits accumulate over the long term. This book will help you find which ones are right for you. Captures farmer and other research results from the past ten years. The authors verified the info. from the 2nd ed., added new results and updated farmer profiles and research data, and added 2 chap. Includes maps and charts, detailed narratives about individual cover crop species, and chap. about aspects of cover cropping.

Sustainable Market Farming

Sustainable Market Farming
Author: Pam Dawling
Publisher: New Society Publishers
Total Pages: 459
Release: 2013-02-01
Genre: Gardening
ISBN: 1550925121

Growing for 100 - the complete year-round guide for the small-scale market grower. Across North America, an agricultural renaissance is unfolding. A growing number of market gardeners are emerging to feed our appetite for organic, regional produce. But most of the available resources on food production are aimed at the backyard or hobby gardener who wants to supplement their family's diet with a few homegrown fruits and vegetables. Targeted at serious growers in every climate zone, Sustainable Market Farming is a comprehensive manual for small-scale farmers raising organic crops sustainably on a few acres. Informed by the author's extensive experience growing a wide variety of fresh, organic vegetables and fruit to feed the approximately one hundred members of Twin Oaks Community in central Virginia, this practical guide provides: Detailed profiles of a full range of crops, addressing sowing, cultivation, rotation, succession, common pests and diseases, and harvest and storage Information about new, efficient techniques, season extension, and disease resistant varieties Farm-specific business skills to help ensure a successful, profitable enterprise Whether you are a beginning market grower or an established enterprise seeking to improve your skills, Sustainable Market Farming is an invaluable resource and a timely book for the maturing local agriculture movement.

Vermiculture Technology

Vermiculture Technology
Author: Clive A. Edwards
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 603
Release: 2010-12-20
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1439809887

Exploring the dramatic growth and changes in the field of vermicomposting since 1988, this comprehensive review assesses the advancements made in government-funded projects in the U.S. and UK. It discusses outdoor and indoor windrows, container systems, wedge systems, and low labor-requirements. It also examines fully-automated continuous flow vermicomposting reactor systems that can process more than 1000 tons of organic wastes per reactor. The book highlights the science and biology behind the use and efficacy of vermicomposting and details the technology of the past, present, and future.