Growing up I never really knew what my grandpa did for a living. I knew he raised animals but never what kind. On the back of his property was a long, long shed. It was dark and smelled very earthy. From time to time we’d see him shoveling dark, rich soil out of the shed and hauling it out into the garden where he grew all sorts of yummy, nutritious vegetables.
His vegetables were nothing to shake a stick at either. His tomatoes, squash and lettuce were always the biggest in the area. Mmmm…the ripe, juicy tomatoes perfect for a bacon sandwich.
My grandpa passed away when I was 12 and I never learned the secret of his shed until I was much older. My grandpa wasn’t raising chickens or cows. He didn’t have pigeons or peacocks in the shed. He had something much more valuable, worms.
My grandpa was known far and wide for his worms and the wonderful compost they made. He’d sell compost by the bucket full to local gardeners and worms by the coffee can to local fishermen. His worms were said to be the fattest, juiciest in the area and quite excellent for fish bait. His compost was top notch and raised some of the biggest and juiciest vegetables in town.
My grandpa and his worm farm are gone but you can still get the rich compost for your garden. Wormswrangler.com has a great little unit that lets you turn your kitchen scraps into worm food without the huge shed my grandpa used. The units come in a variety of sizes that fit in any garden or yard. Before you know it you’ll have the biggest tomatoes around!
Best part is the worms make completely organic, 100% healthy food for your plants at a fraction of what it costs for chemical fertilizers.
For more information on getting your own worm farm going check out wormswrangler.com.
Nice story Loyd. I have never heard of that sort of shed before. Worms still kinda freak me out.
Did I tell you guys what I got for Mother’s Day? My own compost bin! I know, I know some of you are thinking “SAY WHAT?!” But I couldn’t have been more thrilled and I hope, like your grandpa, Loyd, to be able to have a positive impact on my ability to grow my own veges.
I would have never thought of worms making a compost that would help plants that is crazy.
Nola – keep us updated on your compost bin and your veggie garden!
My roommate has been discussing getting a compost bin for our yard. However, they seem overly expensive. He wants an aerobic one (turning composter). I will have to keep you guys updated!