Every time it rains in Hawaii my kids get excited…why? because the worms come out. I’m not sure what the fascination exactly is, other than the slime factor, but one thing for certain is that they know that worms are our friends! Worms are one of the most hardworking recyclers on this planet and they do so much to enrich our ecosystem.
I recently ran in to Zac Johnson, a local worm grower, and he provided me with a guide to worm composting, a.k.a. vermicomposting. Worms will feed on most of your leftover scraps, except for meat, dairy and fatty foods. All you need to do is set up a bin with air holes, add a moist bedding made from shredded white paper, cardboard, etc. and your worms will be in heaven. If you’re interested in starting a worm compost of your own you can gather more details at wormdigest.org or you can contact Zac Johnson at 808.672.3989 for more information on Hawaii’s specific guidelines. FYI, the worms from your garden won’t work. You have to use “composting” worms.