Garbage in, compost out (of worms)

Here's a story that caught my eye in today's Chicago Sun Times. It certainly won't appeal to everyone, but it's an interesting, low-tech way to convert garbage (left-over food, coffee grounds, and newspaper) into fertilizer. One little way to go "green" especially if you have a garden.

Your lunch leftovers could be worms' buffet
BY GARY WISBY Environment Reporter

... The Center for Neighborhood Technology's 50 employees have been worm-composting all their food waste for more than three years. They use a fancy, three-layer "Can of Worms" model that requires little maintenance.

But bins can be made very cheaply. Urgani took a $7.50, 14-gallon plastic storage bin, drilled holes in the top and added $10 worth of mail-order worms. No need to replenish the little workers -- they reproduce. ...

If you want to learn more about "vermicomposting," you can get the book referred to in the above story:

Worms Eat My Garbage: How to setup & maintain a vermicomposting system
By Mary Appelhof
Flower Press

And there are many more resources at WormWoman.com