As we endevour to progress towards sustainability on our property we need to be selfsufficient with chicken food so we wish to stop buying in grains. One food source that we can use is compost worms. Each morning when we collect the cow manure for the bio-digester there is about 10 -15 kgs more than we need. So as this is a useful resource lets put it to good use and set up a system that provides food for the chickens and also processes the manure to be ready for the garden. I have several IBC units (1000 litre caged plastic tanks) that I have that are not being used so I cut one in half to create two farms. The top half was turned upside down and then placed onto a plastic pallet to make the second farm.
The worm farms being set up to drain into another drainage system if the worm juice isn’t harvested.
The first farm was started several weeks ago and I introduced several hundred compost worms in the first week. They have multiplied already and are doing well. In the second farm I have put 75mm of drainage gravel that is covered with shadecloth to ensure that there is no chance of it flooding in a disaster and drowning the worms. When the first farm gets emptied I will put drainage in it also.
The drainage gravel added to the system.
The worm population is still building so it is uncertain at this stage how to design the whole system. I am thinking at for now that if I have four worm farms the excess manure should be all utilized and processed in a four month turnaround.
With are protective edge and lid added it will be ready to go!
I will add a protective edge on the sharp top and then make some simple lids to keep out the rain and sun.
I guess I’ll need to make a worm harvester next!!? Tom.
©2016 Tom Kendall; permeco.org, incorporating Permaculture Research Institute Sunshine Coast, simplicity, permaculture, self reliance and homesteading, compost worm farming.
Author: Tom Kendall
Tom is a lifelong agriculturalist and co-founder of the Permaculture Research Institute Sunshine Coast Inc. His site "Maungaraeeda" is a Permaculture Demonstration and Education Site. He is a Permaculture Educator and Consultant, and has a wealth of knowledge about how to be truly sustainable. Water management strategies, alternative fuel generation, animal systems and numerous other Permaculture Designed Solutions are his speciality.