My basement worm farm

It was several months back that I went to my local walmart and picked up two opaque plastic 55 gallon tubs. I proceeded to drill dozens of holes in the top, and sides of one of the tubs. Which I then filled with shredded paper, cardboard, paper egg cartons, well rotted vegetables and a small bit of garden soil. All was moist. In the other tub I placed two empty 10# cans for spacers and placed the other hole ridden tub on top of it. A week or so later my red worms came. I placed them inside the tub full of trash and boom there is my worm farm.

Suffice it to say my husband was extremely grossed out with my new pets, just in the unfinished part of his domain. Which of course is the entire basement which includes the family room minus a tiny spot he has generously let our three kids have some toys in after much persuasion on my part.

Here is our worm farm conversation; [so funny I can say that.]

"Mom's getting us pets Dad!" My little 4 and 2 year old say My 7 year old is silent. She knows it's not in our best interest to share that information with him. 

"Really!!!" He says eyeing me with a 'what are they talking about smile, we are not pet people.' 

"Worms. We feed them our rotten food Dad." the words burst from my 4 year though she herself is wearing a grossed out face. My 2 year old and 7 year are smiling happily. They all love anything I say is good for us and our garden. ;) 

"No way we are not having worms." He replies to the kids. In a very firm tone. Their faces take a stricken look. "Oh that's disgusting Bran, it's going to smell like rotten food. You can't have them." He informs me then, in an exasperated and slightly offended tone. 

The conversation goes on, only horribly wrong for me. He's very admit that we will NEVER have any worms INSIDE our house.

It's barley January when we have this conversation. I never thought to ask permission. It's just worms. The snows are pretty heavy at this point and well, no, the worms can't go outside. So I just drop the subject. I had already bought the tubs and prepared them. I couldn't quite bring myself to tell him the whole truth, the worms were on their way already. I'd just have to ask for forgiveness when and if - he finds out. So as the weeks past we got our package of worms and I plopped them in the box. I tell my children that Dad doesn't like the worms so don't talk to him about them.

About a month later my husband informs me every time he opens the unfinished basement door that my 4 year old tells him we should "feed our worms" or "the worms don't like light". Even my 2 year old is in on ratting me out she tells dad about "mommy's babies" or "wurm fahm" yep that's her way of telling him we've got a worm farm just 15 feet from his television.

But nope it doesn't smell. And since HE doesn't actually have to feed them he doesn't mind. It's not work for him and he could nearly forget because in the unfinished basement most of our tubs look the same. He still thinks it is gross, and now my 7 year old does too! But my 4 and 2 year old pile their uneaten green waste like soy bean pods (beans already eaten) and lettuce leaves proudly into the tubs. We're "feeding mommies babies" after all.

Hope you enjoyed that little tidbit. Life is a little too funny not to share some days.

Our composting IS going awesome. It's been three months now. The worms are healthy, I'm not sure you can kill them really. They are just too easy. Our kitchen waste is so much less; with the greens going into the worm farm, recycling [in which I myself have to drive to a recycling center] our trash has dramatically reduced by 60% or more.

Three fold soil composting;

1. Worm farm [rotted green waste from our garden/fridge, pet waste]
2. Compost tumbler [waste that cannot be used in the worm farm and the pets won't eat]
3. Pet's eating our fresh green waste [unfinished vegetables and such, their waste and bedding going into the worm farm]