Posted 7 October 2022
DOWN TO EARTH WITH BRIAN THE WORM MAN
Don’t waste a minute and wiggle your way into your own worm farm!
Brian ‘The Worm Man’ Donaldson is Ripley Town Centre’s resident worm expert, and recently facilitated educational school holiday sessions for Ripley’s budding worm farmers. With a strong focus on reducing waste, having a worm farm in your home could be the next step to reducing your daily greenhouse gases.
“Sending waste to landfill generates greenhouse gases and removes valuable nutrients from our soils.
We can’t throw anything ‘away’ as such — we have to be responsible for our own waste,” Brian said.
“Composting and sending waste through a worm farm can make a big difference and help you take control of your waste, even if you can’t compost it all on site.”
Worms are clever little creatures and work by eating through waste like kitchen scraps, newspaper and cardboard, digesting and excreting it as a ‘cast’. A worm cast contains five plant rooting and growth hormones, trace minerals and a small amount of fertiliser value — a microbiological powerhouse for your soil and plants.
“It feeds the soil and the soil feeds your plants,” Brian said.
“Stronger, healthy plants are more pest and disease-resistant, and may show increased growth, or more crops or flowers.”
Worm farms aren’t just for those with big gardens. You can house a worm farm under your kitchen sink or even under your bed! Brian recommends starting small when creating your first worm farm, before expanding into different and larger systems.
“There are dozens of worm farm systems available, if you count DIY types,” he said.
“You’ll figure out which system works best for you from experience, or get in touch to discuss your individual requirements,”
Brian hosts regular workshops for adults on diverting waste through worm farming and composting, and runs fun and engaging lessons for kids, teaching the young and old about the wonders of the humble earthworm.
Keep an eye on the Ripley Town Centre events page for upcoming educational workshops or get started on your own worm farm by checking out Brian’s website.