467: Bentley Christie on Worm Composting.
Having WAY too much fun with worms!
In This Podcast:
Watching his coworker throw her lunch scraps into a large bin under her desk was just too exciting for Bentley Christie and soon he was on his way to becoming the Compost Guy with a popular blog and website about worm composting. He shares his excitement and admiration for the legless wonders that produce a valued garden soil amendment. Not stopping there, he explains a new method of composting that transformed his garden into a bountiful wonder.
[dt_button link=”https://urbanfarm.leadpages.co/podcast-signup/” target_blank=”true” button_alignment=”center” animation=”fadeIn” size=”medium” style=”default” bg_hover_color_style=”accent” text_color_style=”context” text_hover_color_style=”custom” text_hover_color=”#ffffff”]Don’t miss an episode! Click HERE to sign up for regular podcast updates[/dt_button]
Our Guest:

Listen in and learn about:
-
- A coworker with a worm bin under her desk
- Why worm poop is called ‘Gardener’s Gold’
- There is something special in it
- What vermicomposting is and why it is different from worm composting
- Specialized worms are the ones that do the composting
- The microbes in worm composting
- Worm composting is easy to adjust to meet scale
- Starting worm bins – as easy as under your desk
- Different worms and their preferences
- What to put in the worm bin
- How frozen foods can work in the bins and what to consider
- Temperature control and working in extremes
- TRENCH vermicomposting and how excited he is
- Above ground and below ground aspects in trench vermicomposting
- Using the food waste scraps from a restaurant and squirreling the food into the system
As well as:
His failure – Over filling his trenches with food and getting the system overwhelmed
His success – Watching the trench vermicomposting work and realizing how his trenches affected his gardens
His drive – Curiosity first! Then sharing what he has learned, and connecting with so many people
His advice – Focus on the habit while you learn during this fun experiment – keep it simple, have fun with it
Bentley’s Book recommendations:
Worms Eat My Garbage, 35th Anniversary Edition: How to Set Up and Maintain a Worm Composting System by Mary Appelhof
The Worm Farmer’s Handbook: Mid- to Large-Scale Vermicomposting for Farms, Businesses, Municipalities, Schools, and Institutions by Rhonda Sherman
Producer’s Note:
Episode 405: Rhonda Sherman on Worm Farming
How to reach Bentley:
Website: redwormcomposting.com
UrbanFarm.org/compostguy