SUBJECTS: Science
YEARS: F–2, 3–4, 5–6
Do you know what vermicast is? It's worm manure!
Worms produce vermicast after they've gobbled up our organic waste! Worms help to convert waste material that would otherwise go to landfill, into good, healthy soil. What are the benefits of this?
Some people are so impressed with earthworms, they have dedicated their careers to farming them.
Professional farmers use a range of techniques to reach 'peak vermicast,' known in English as 'loads of worm poo.' Only the best food scraps, along with state-of-the-art hydration, aeration, temperature and soil acidity, will produce the right, um, offerings.
The worm castings are then brewed into a tea and sprayed over crops to help them grow. (No milk or sugar, please – they ruin the pH levels.)
Many worm farmers also sell worms to other people. With increasing interest in reducing household waste, Australian farmers are struggling to keep up with demand. Some Maori people even eat a certain kind of earthworm as a delicacy.
Things to think about
- 1.In what way would running a worm farm be different from running a traditional one?
Date of broadcast: 2013
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