worm food

In celebration of Earth Day, let me tell you about the creatures in our basement.

About 3 years ago Steven rolled his eyes at me when I bought this book, and groaned when I told him that the worms would have to be kept inside to protect them from getting too hot in the summer or too cold in the winter.

But after reading a bunch of articles (and a failed experiment with a compost pile in the back yard) he was in, so we bought a "worm condo" and some red wigglers. Now we've got tons of little guys living in the basement, eating our food scraps and junk mail and making nutrient rich compost and "compost tea" (which, as far as I can tell, is worm pee) for our garden.  It doesn't smell at all unless you open the lid and then it smells kind of good, like dirt.  

I picked the "condo" because it helps sort the worms so you see them less. (honestly, they gross me out a little.) When the bottom bin is full, you add another one. When the worms are done eating the stuff in the bottom bin, they migrate up through the holes in the second bin and eat the stuff in there. By the time the third bin is full, the bottom bin of compost is ready to use. It's super easy and works great. 

If you are thinking about composting, I'd highly recommend it.