“Just call me the worm lady,” grins community development worker Krista Fry, shovelling up a pile of wriggling creepy crawlies in Scadding’s “worm room,” a mini storage closet that doubles as night crawler breeding grounds.
A week after the Scadding Community Centre‘s community compost pit was shut down by the Ministry of the Environment for being an “illegal dump site,” Fry’s offering residents looking for a way to cut down on garbage woes a free cup of worms.
Steps away from a busy intersection, Scadding is a mini oasis. Early morning Tai Chi, computer and cooking classes, a Greenhouse café with $2 healthy menu items. With 200 daily visitors, it’s one of the most active community centres in the downtown core.
“The pit” was supposed to be a landmark in urban agriculture. But instead the 1.5 by 1.5 metre hole in the back of the Dundas and Bathurst community centre became the centre of a stinky controversy.
It seemed like common sense.
For people who live in apartments or above stores that can’t have green bins then community composts are the next best thing.
But according to the Ministry of the Environment, backyard composters are just for individual use. If a neighbour drops off their waste it registers as an illegal dump site.
Without the $1,400 permit, the community compost was forced to shut down.
Scadding still has four compost bins mainly for the centre’s own use, but as of Monday the bins are almost full and can’t support the high demand from residents already straining under week four of the garbage strike.
That’s where Fry’s slimy little friends come in.
“Vermicomposts!” says Fry, showing off the stacks of worm bins. “Get one in your apartment. It doesn’t smell. They don’t escape-if you do it properly.”
They may be small, but they’re efficient.
Red worms eat their own weight in food every day. That means one pound of worms can consume seven pounds of organic waste every week.
And they’re not picky eaters. Fruit and vegetable waste, grains, eggshells, coffee grins and tea bags make great worm buffets. Just no citrus fruits or meat products.
“Worms are like children,” says Fry. Keep them indoors where it’s not too hot, not too cold. You can start small with an ice cream bucket, but any plastic or wood container will do. First you need a scoop of soil. A layer of shredded newspaper on top acts as their bedding. Lift it up for feeding time and cover them up afterwards. Keep it moist and feed every few days.
“After that they just procreate, eat, shit and have a great time,” said Fry.
And the fertilizer?
“It’s like black gold! It’s the top. It’s the best. Put about four tablespoons on your household plants and just water it in.”
But bunking with worms isn’t everyone’s idea of a garbage solution.
When Fry offers me a cup of my own as a slimy parting gift, I have to decline. They may be helpful houseguests, but for most people when it comes down to it the whole thing is just too creepy. As for myself, I once killed a cactus. Those poor worms wouldn’t stand a chance. [rssbreak]
