Wigglin' out to Paulina Elementary

Paulina Elementary joined schools in the "wormability" movement! This makes a total of seven schools wormin' it up!

This week Denise, the sustainability educator at the Environmental Center, came over and loaded up a Wonder Worman Worm bin along with the bedding and a pound of worms, and headed off 80 miles east of Bend to educate the super willing friends of Paulina. These folks will be composting all of their usable waste at the school and will soon have a rich amendment to add to their plants and veggies. They will weigh and record their waste before feeding the red wigglers to determine if they need to build some more bins.

I will be posting some pictures soon. Denise will forward them to me, and then they will be up for viewing!!! I am ever thankful to my friends at the Enviro Center.

Happy Wormin'

Compostable baby wipes!

I am excited to share a product introduced to me a week ago. Linda, CEO and Co-Founder of Elements Naturals and Shannon, her PR sidekick met with me at a local, fantastic coffee house in Bend. Linda's compostable baby wipes are 100% Natural and are chemical and fragrant free. These wipes will break down into usable compost in a home compost pile and soon to be tested in my Wonder Worman Super composting Worm Bin!

Now that my kids are way past the diaper stage...Nice for me!..., I have started using these wipes for our hands rather than their bottoms. (I am happy they are no longer pooping in their pants, but I do miss their baby smell.) These wipes are super soft and hold up to the wear and tear of removing dirt from grimy hands.

I have also used them for cleaning my key board. They have just the right amount of moisture and are not sopping wet. I think I've used 4 so far and will be tossing them into a worm bin over the weekend.

Here's to a cool compostable product!! More later! Happy Wormin'

Back to where it all began!

Just a quick photo blog today! The mystery plant returning to the bin. Please refer to yesterdays blog if you're confused.

I yanked up the plant. Check out the length of the roots!
Broke the roots off so it wouldn't continue growing in the bin!
There was a veggie growing. I'm thinking it was a pumpkin.
I decided to break the vines into pieces to help the worms out a bit.
Back to where the seed started! Happy feasting wigglers! It's your turn now!!!

Mystery Veggie Chomped by Deer?!

From this.........

A beautiful, lush, healthy looking veggie believed to be a pumpkin plant.

To this..........

A sickly, devoured, bunch of twisted mess which was a tasty treat for some creature that's lurking the alleys of Awbrey Road!

After blogging about this mystery veggie a month ago, I got a kick out of watching it grow. Every morning, I would check for a sign, letting me know what "it" was going to be. Would it sprout some pumpkins, watermelons or squash? Whatever was to come would be cool cause this all started from a seed from the wiggler's compost. A seed that was left behind from either a pumpkin, watermelon, or squash. Wigglers don't care for the seeds but do love the scraps left around them.

Well, last week I went out and saw this! I was a bit upset but happy to provide a feast for a deer, raccoon or skunk?? Hmm, what's lurking in our alley at night? At least they were fed! Now, I plan on taking this veggie mess and feed it to the wigglers, bringing it back to where it started! How's that for recycling?

Happy Wormin'

Party Plate Update

About 3 weeks ago, I was given a bin full of compostable cups and plates from a friend who hosted a pretty big party! I posted a blog and wanted to update the worms' progress with some photos!

Progress is pretty slow, and I think it's because I put the plates on the top of the bedding. I decided to replace the "newspaper" blanket with the wet party plates.

I do notice some worm casting on top of the plates so they are making their way to the top. The plates are still moist and rather flimsy so they are breaking down.

When I pulled the plates away, I was happy to see the worms feasting on the scraps. This is a good sign.

The plates are not deterring them from doing their good deeds!!

I will continue to update their progress!! So if you have compostable cups and plates, feed them to your red wigglers! Maybe tear some up and mix them in the bedding.

Happy worming!!!

worms in action with a watermelon!

Backyard Compost Pile

My backyard compost pile has been going for about a year. I started throwing yard debris, including grass clippings into a small section of my yard. Many of my clients have free standing piles and have had much success with adding Red Wigglers so I decided to give it a try. The pile was dry so I made sure to get it very wet so the wigglers would thrive.

My neighbors often supply the wigglers with a lot of food waste. Last week, I added about 2 cups of the waste to the pile. Adding the food made me a bit nervous. I didn't want the pile to attract flies. So far things seem to be quiet in the corner.

I will wander out there this afternoon and check on the progress of the food waste. I am hoping to find the worms having a feast. If all goes well this week, I will continue to add food scraps to the pile. Wish me luck!

Lavabelles Worm Service

I have been tweeting and facebooking about my newest worm adventure. Lavabelles has joined the "Wormability" movement!
Lavabelles is a really neat business. They have renovated 8 homes built in the 1940's, I believe. I need to get the exact information from Cara, the head honcho. Each home is fully furnished with modern and turn of the century pieces. They can be rented for a night or as long as a month!

I was very excited when Cara wanted to expand her recycling efforts to include vermicomposting! Since this was my first gig with providing a worm service, I wanted to take my time researching to make sure this would be successful. With my camera in hand, I took photos of the property to find the best place for the worm bin and outside food scrap container. By the way, Carlos, my really talented, creative, designer husband, came along! He has an eye for this type of thing! Anyway, we found the spots, and then I was off to the stores to find the best containers. After a few hours, I found one for the kitchen and one for the outside.

This is what I found! This super cool stuff is on the kitchen counter in the "Flo" house. The container is for the preconsumed kitchen waste. Carlos created the "How to do the Red Wiggler" info poster which explains what the worms love and and hate to eat. There is also a condensed version on the counter, too.

Kudos to Carlos! Once again, he bangs things out and they look SWEEEEEET! Check out the stickers on the container.

After filling up the indoor container with food for the worms, it will be brought outside.

This is the outdoor food collection bin. I will be there every Monday to empty and sort the food for the worms. The renter does not have to worry about feeding the worms.

The last step of the composting process and my favorite, The Worm Bin. Not sure if you can see the combo lock there to the left of my logo. I assembled that nifty piece all by myself! It took me a few days and trips back to the house to ask Carlos how to work the drill, change the battery pack, and attach and detach all of the bits. Eventually, I was able to drill that sucker on!

I will be here once a week checking on my babies and making sure this operation runs smoothly! I am so excited to be doing what I love!!! There truly is nothing like it!

More to come.

Happy Worming.
The sun is finally making an appearance! I missed you!

Who is Carlos?

Super Composting Wonder Worman Bins are too heavy for me to pick up and deliver alone so I rely on my faithful sidekick Carlos. Graphic designer, super husband and all around cool dude, Carlos is always willing to fit my deliveries into his busy schedule.

He lifts, loads, unloads and carries my Wonder Worman bins to my AWESOME clients!!! Not only is he the muscle, he is the creator of my super sweet logo, brochure, website and soon to be released , informative poster for homes, schools and offices. I am ever so thankful to my man. Who knew that when we married 14 years ago I'd be giving him a shout out for being my worman sidekick!!!!!

Bend Community Center

I had the opportunity to share my experience with Red Wigglers at the Bend Community Center for their annual fundraiser, Feed the Hungry. The Bend Community Center is a nonprofit organization, focusing on feeding those in need.

Gardening was the theme for this years fundraiser. The Oregon State University Extension Service/Master Gardeners were also available to answer questions regarding raised flower beds, seeds and seedlings.

I was able to promote the value of composting and the benefit from composting with Red Wigglers. It was a cool experience and great exposure for Red Wigglers.

First Wonder Worman Bin Delivery of the season

Actually I delivered two bins today minus the Super Composting Red Wigglers. The weather this week has been rather silly! On Sunday, it was near 70, and today it was close to 40! Yucky for sure. The weather was not ideal, and I did not feel comfortable setting my red wigglers into their new homes. The worms will be delivered in about 2 weeks. By then, I hope the weather has improved and the nightime lows are above freezing.

My clients were very excited to get the bins even without the worms, knowing they can still compost. Food waste will be tossed into the bin and will begin to break down. So when the worms do arrive, the bedding will have food scraps for them to eat.

I am excited for this season of vermicomposting. I am scheduled to be at the Earth Day Fair this Saturday 4/24 in downtown Bend at the Environmental Center. There will be many local Earth loving people there!! Come down and say "Hi".

More later! happy wormin'

Getting Ready for the Season

I am excited to put my hands back into the bins, and my mind back into worm mode. That part of my brain and life has been on vacation as my worms were taking their much needed winter's rest.

During the winter, I have been chilling with my family and working at my day job. Now, I am ready to add that familiar spice to the mixture of my life! Worms are awesome. They bring so much to my life by connecting me to some really neat people.

My goal is April to be up and running once again!

Layering with newspaper

After browsing through my worm photos, I found this shot of me with my Super Composting Red Wigglers!

Boy, I have missed them during these cold winter days. I am feeding them, but not moving the bedding around too much as to not blast them with cold air. I am also not selling them until the weather warms up, probably March? I will keep the worm community posted!

Any way, back to the "Layering". Sorry, I got off topic. A common thing lately! Geez... So, when I feed the worms the various, yummy kitchen scraps from the day/week, I throw the waste on the top of the bedding then sprinkle a little bedding on top. Then I finally cover the bedding/waste mixture with wet newspaper.

The newspaper blanket, I believe, blocks out the light so the worms with come to the top to feed. Knowing that red wigglers are surface dwellers, I think this helps them feel more comfortable. When they are relaxed and less stressed, I think they will eat more and will have less indigestion.

I love these red wigglers and what they do for the planet! So I want to give them the best eating experience. LOL!!!

Last Worm Bin Delivery for the season!

This is it! The final delivery of the season! It was a cool one for sure, and one that I will remember for a while (well at least when I have the pictures as prompts...I need all the help I can get. The mind ain't what it used to be) On Monday, I took a pound of worms, a bin, peat moss, shredded newspaper, and my hubby to a Llama and Alpaca Farm. Marty, the human leader of the animals, greeted us with a huge smile and a hand shake. She lead us to the future home of the red wigglers, a renovated chicken coop that was invaded by racoons...Yikes. The chicken coop was already set up with a heat lamp and hay...perfect for a red wiggler set up in November. Totally cool! These guys love their llamas and alpacas and will soon love their red wigglers. Just look at that set up!
Here's a picture of hay which is above sheets of newspaper. This will keep the worms warm especially during the chilly Bend nights.
Doesn't this look yummmmmmy!!! Marty was all set with food scraps for the red wigglers. I put the rotting lettuce, celery, cucumbers and squash on top of the bedding and covered the scraps with the sheets of newspaper (another good use for USA today). I use the newspaper to keep the red wigglers contained to the food area so they won't travel up through the hay. In the summer this helps reduce fruit flies.

Marty's goal is to reduce her food waste and to also compost her llama and alpaca waste. I don't have experience with animal waste so she is my test case. We will be chatting a bunch to see how the red wigglers are doing. I am excited to see what happens!!

Let the Feasting Begin!

I came home this afternoon to find my pumpkin collection bucket full of nasty, rotting pumpkins. My red wigglers will be feasting for a while, especially on something they enjoy.

During my 5+ years of vermicomposting, I have found that they love pumpkins. In the past, I have halved and quartered pumpkins and tossed them into the worm bins. After a day or so, I checked on them and lifted a piece of the pumpkin and to my surprise, I found a cluster of red wigglers underneath! Way cool!!!
If you have a worm bin and pumpkins left, go ahead and feed them to your worms!

Thanks to all of my friends for supplying these nasty, rotting pumpkins!

Pumpkins=Happy Red Wigglers

Calling all Halloween Jack-O-Lantern and rotting pumpkin owners!

When you are tempted to toss your icky pumpkins into the trash can, don't! STOP and think about other options.

1. toss them into the corner of your backyard.
2. toss them into your compost pile.
3. toss them into your worm bin!!!
and if these options don't work for you, GIVE THEM TO THE WONDER WORMAN!!! (if you are local)

Pumpkins are 100% biodegradable. When added to your compost pile, you will have rich fertilizer for the spring! A huge bonus, if you have a worm bin, the worms will have a Halloween treat too! They love, love, love pumpkins! I can't stress that enough!

REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF USABLE WASTE THAT CLOGS OUR LANDFILLS!!!!

Is this appealing to YOU?

Probably not, I am sure of that, but to my red wigglers this is heaven on a stick. The nastier the better. They will devour this mess of mush in about 2 weeks, and I will keep track of this for the week. I am home for a week from my "other" job due to a surgery so I need a Wonder Worman project to keep me busy. I have decided to document the progress of bin #1.

Not sure if you can tell what all of this is???
- 3/4 of a watermelon
-3 coffee filters
-carrots...not sure how many
-cabbage leaves...from my garden (which the deer have eaten...another blog for that one)
-apple core and some egg shells
I shall see how long this takes. I just threw the waste on top of the bedding and have covered the food with large sheets of newspaper. I will be back tomorrow to show another picture. Happy worming!!!

Flowers of my Labor

Tending to my Super Composting Red Wigglers has its perks for sure. Throughout Spring, Summer, and early Fall I harvested much of my Red Wiggler castings, some of which I sold, but most of it was used for my indoor and outdoor plants.

Red Wiggler compost is perfect for pretty much any type of plant or garden and really does a great job providing the proper nutrition and drainage to the soil, which in-turn produces great results for anything growing in that soil.

Red Wiggler Late Summer Snacks

Pumpkins, Squash, Gourds... Oh My!!!
Soon they will be springing up all over town. Here’s a shot of some pumpkins from my mini pumpkin patch garden! Sometime in late October when this little guy is big, round and orange, he will be carved up and made into a Wonder Worman Jack-O-lantern! Of course, nothing will go to waste - every part of the pumpkin will go right back to my Super Composting Red Wigglers. Yum! It’s like pumpkin pie for my Super Composting Sidekicks!

What’s on the Menu for Red Wigglers?

What’s on the menu today for Wonder Worman’s Super Composting Red Wigglers? There’s Red Leaf lettuce, banana peels, strawberries, oats, pasta, rice and spinach, among other things – Food scraps from the last couple of days. If you have kids and are looking for ways to get them even more excited about having Red Wigglers, make a project out of feeding your worms by creating a “soup” out of food that would normally go to waste – but still a good source of food for your Red Wigglers (Moldy bread? Bring it on! Rusty Lettuce? Yum!). Before putting this mix into the bin, add a bit of water to prevent any moisture from being absorbed by the mix from the existing bedding. Bon Appetit!