What do worms and chickens have in common?
They both want to eat your food waste!
In return they give us worm castings, eggs & entertainment! What a great deal! Some would say it’s money for nothing!
The massive food waste problem in America is the subject of much discussion. What can you do with your food waste? The most commonly used solution has been to throw it “away.” Now we are being encouraged to send it via trucks to “somewhere else,” where it is usually processed using anaerobic digestion. Methane, a potent greenhouse gas, odor and leachate are biproducts. There are other options and they’re local too! There are a variety of ways to compost at home. None of these methods are as engaging as and as beneficial to the environment as Animal Composting!
Vermicomposting, or worm composting, is the product of earthworm digestion (red wrigglers and other composting worms) and aerobic decomposition using the activities of micro- and macro-organisms at room temperature. Vermicomposting produces worm castings, a rich organic soil amendment containing a diversity of plant nutrients and beneficial microorganisms. Worm castings are very valuable when utilized in gardens to promote plant growth. Using Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) instead of worms produces a high value animal food, the BSFL itself. BSFL is a highly nutritious food suitable for fish, reptiles, chickens and more.
Chicken Composting: The USDA endorses the integration of chickens into composting practices due to their beneficial contributions. Chickens are not only a source of nitrogen-rich manure but also play an active role in aerating compost piles through their natural behaviors. Some other reasons to keep chickens: *Eggs from free ranging hens are tastier, fresher and more nutritious. *Low maintenance pets. *Great entertainment. *All-natural pest control. *Free lawn service. *Zero waste partners. *Free Fertilizer. *Chicken therapy. *Connecting family members with their food source. *Teaching responsibility. *Eating more local food. *Reducing oil consumption and carbon footprint. *A great family economics lesson. *Saving heritage breeds. *Become a trend setter. *Chickens pay their own way.
Scalability: Vermicomposting scales easily. It’s as simple as dedicating more space in a greenhouse, basement, warehouse or other locations. Chickens just require a coop and some space to scratch and turn the compostable material. Vermont Composting and the University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources, have shown that chickens, whether centralized or decentralized, can compost enormous amounts of food waste.
The math is easy. If every third household in Newton had enough chickens to eat their kitchen scraps, usually 2 chickens, there would be enough eggs to supply every household in Newton, essentially for free. 600 chickens can consume more than 10 tons of food waste in 1 month. 50 chickens can consume 60lbs of food waste in 2 days, and we get eggs.
Animal Composting can be great fun for school children of all ages!
Contact us for more information. We are available for group presentations.
