About our Vermiculture Research

    At LOR Farms, we believe in sustainability and maintaining the natural flow of the nutrient cycle.  That is why we offer vermicompost made by our own red wiggler worms. When we have brown cardboard from shipping materials, plants, vegetables, lettuces, or any other hydroponic products that are damaged or do not meet standards, we do not throw them away but recycle and use them to feed our worms. We use a continuous flow worm bin to provide a home for our wriggly little buddies.  At full production we are able to harvest approximately 165 lbs of castings and vermicompost per week.  

    By using a continuous flow worm bin, we are able to harvest the castings without disturbing the worms.  This allows optimum conditions for the worms' habitat with minimal disturbance. We control the diet our worms eat and to get the best quality castings we can offer.  The worms are fed and watered every week and adjustments are made to keep the worms habitat warms and cozy.  The temperature and humidity level are constituently monitored to maintain production levels as well.

    When we feed and water the worms, we add about 4 inches of fresh scraps, composting materials, and cardboard/peat moss bedding to the top of the bin. It takes that feeding about 16 weeks to travel through the bin until it is harvested. At the top of the bin the food is broken down and digested by the worms. Here is where they become castings.  The middle of the bin is where the castings and other media are naturally composted by the enzymes and other microbes in the soil/compost.  This is also the part of the bin that generates the heat that keeps the bin warms throughout the winter.  Since Red wigglers are primarily surface dwelling worms, their primary depth of travel is around 8 inches.  Therefore they never travel into the middle of the bin where the natural composting occurs.  By having the bin 30 inches deep from top to harvesting area, this ensures that all worms and cocoons remain in the bin and do not get harvested.

    Which brings us to the bottom of the bin. Here the castings/compost is matured and awaits harvesting.  When we harvest, we usually only take the bottom most 1-2 inches from the bin, since the food reduces to half its size as it gets broken down and travels through the bin.

Once harvested, the castings and compost are screened to remove the larger pieces and any debris or worms that made it through the bin.  The debris is removed while the larger pieces are returned to the bin for a second pass to be broken down further.  The screened castings are then bagged and stored until they are sold to you, our wonderful customers!