Composting with earth worms is a way to turn table and food scraps into some of the highest quality compost available. The process is clean and odor free and can be done in a classroom, home, or apartment. Red Wigglers (available at fish bait stores) are used instead of the common earth crawlers since the wigglers are primary decomposers and have a greater appetite for food scraps.

Get a wooden or plastic box about as big as an apple crate. Use compost, leaves, and/or shredded newspaper for bedding. Use a lid since worms like it dark. Wigglers can eat their weight in food scraps every day. Feed them fruit and vegetable scraps, tea bags, coffee grounds, and eggshells. Do not include acidic food like citrus or spicey food, meat or dairy products, oily or woody materials. Your worms will be happy in a cool, moist environment. Wigglers double their numbers every 4-6 weeks.

When you want to harvest the castings, you need to separate the worms from their bedding. Put food on one side of the box with new bedding to attract them, or shine a lamp on one side of the box to move the worms over. Scoop out the castings on the other side of the worm bin and use as compost in your garden, or use as part of a homemade potting mix.

Free classes and brochures on composting and vermiculture are now offered by many cities. In Los Angeles, call the Bureau of Sanitation, (800) 773-CITY for more information on this and many other recycling programs.

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