Improve the World With Your Buying Power
Possible Club Investment - how a small investment can benefit both the NGO/ONG and the community farmers
This idea is being discussed by our directors .... we have a small area on the farm owned by Christian, where we could do this project with a very small investment. The resulting 'humus' produced by raising earthworms could provide benefits for our community farmers, and also produce income by selling it to nurseries, and gardeners in the cities nearby.
--------------------------------------
Interest is increasing in vermicomposting, the use of earthworms for composting in which earthworm convert organic wastes into castings and in vermiculture, and earthworm production.
.
Vermiculture and vermicomposting are very attractive economically, the process of separating earthworms for the substrate and collecting those worms is a major limiting factor.
The minhocultura and the production of humus in the context of family farming
.
There is consensus among farmers that "the land that has worms is better for the production of vegetables and fruits. They know the benefits of earthworms in the soil, such as aeration, greater capacity to retain water, and, of course, improving the chemical qualities.
.
Many farmers witness the positive effects of the earthworm on a range of crops. Humus, when produced in minimally controlled conditions, attacks organic waste in existing properties, such as manure and crop residues, to meet in many cases the need for fertilizer in a garden of small or medium size, especially in conditions of production of ecologically based material.
.
However, few farmers have taken advantage of this extraordinary little natural resource properties primarily due to lack of technical minhocultura and its peculiarities, the belief in the necessity of building expensive and complex structures for the creation, and even deception of previous experiences with unsuccessful attempts
.
Another aspect capable of inhibiting the farmer's decision to mount an earthworm farm is the confusion made between the legal requirements for commercial production of earthworms, or to
sell, and production for own use.
.
To use the properties of the earthworm it is not necessary to remove 100% of the worms and cocoons, or sift the compost to get a standard size, as these practices are required only for those who want to sell humus.
.
The economics of labor work done when they do these steps is significant and can be the difference in actual practice to enable their use.
.
Embrapa has developed some techniques for low cost and low requirement of skilled manpower to demonstrate the feasibility of production of humus on small family farms. These techniques include the earthworm bamboo 'deer' and earthworm tunnel.
.
In earthworm 'deer' the side walls are made of bamboo, woven to support the structure without the need for nails, wires or ropes. This earthworm 'deer' can be mounted outdoors in the shade of a tree and land with a slight slope to drain the excess water, with no need to isolate the bottom with cement or bricks, as the worms remain in the earthworm 'deer' as there is food.
.
To reduce the effects of rain, you can simply put the leaves of trees on the earthworm 'deer' or a cover made of bamboo. By being exposed to the climate the plants close, the compost produced has a quality not as good as it was produced in a more protected method, but justifies the cost negligible take-up in cases of lack of resources or for those farmers who, before they invest, want to better understand the minhocultura.
.
The earthworm under low tunnel is an improvement of earthworm 'deer', easily appropriated by those farmers who now cultivate species such as strawberry and lettuce in greenhouses of the same name. Construction of the tunnel is made just as in the beds for vegetables, with the placement of the arches, sheet support and mainstay in the headwaters and intends to tie the film. Under this structure is mounted on a wooden box, the width of the tunnel, and covered the bottom with mesh screen or perforated plastic film to facilitate the drainage of excess water. The humus produced this type of earthworm is a very good quality, especially for not being washed by rain. Furthermore, it is mobile and can be mounted next to the garden, facilitating the use of compost and monitoring the process.
.
The great advantage of these technologies is the fact that they can be done with simple materials with no cost or very low and can be adapted to the needs of farmers who want to take organic waste on the property in a more rational. Recycle, reduce dependence on foreign mineral fertilizers and at the same time reducing the costs of production are key foundations of a healthy agriculture and committed to the environment in which we live.
.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Planning a more commercial operation
.
Prior to the construction of the beds, must be planned properly the place where they will be installed, taking into account such factors as:
.
- Local water and electricity nearby;
- Place with the possibility of future expansion;
- Location no noise, no winds and rapid changes in temperature;
- Fresh air, which helps irrigation and conserves moisture.
.
The beds can be made of any material available such as: wood, bamboo, tiles, concrete block or asbestos, bricks, etc.. The construction should not lose the design futures.
.
You can raise worms in crates (hobby / research) to large sites for commercial production.
After the construction of the beds, the same procedure is followed.
.
The favorite food of the worms is manure. As the worm looks for and finds the food, to save time, avoid whenever possible, the mixture of raw materials. You can, however, mix the manure with other organic substrates to improve aeration and prevent compaction.
.
The amount of worms required for a construction site varies with the size and time you want to transform the substrate into humus.
.
Settlement of the worms
.
For starters: 1 liter of worms / square meter plot, with a length of 5 to 6 meters (phase of adaptation and multiplication of matrices).
.
Poppy trade:
.
5-6 liters or more of worms / square meter plot, since they were produced by farmers themselves.
.
The arrays must be placed freely on the surface of the bed once in the morning, and then covered with grass that protects the bed to prevent them from escaping during the night
.
When it comes to settlement of beds, the unit of measurement is the usual liter and one liter of earthworms corresponds to 1 kg and contains about 1200 to 1500 individuals
(depending on the size of the arrays), the species E. foetida is 300 to 350.
.
Construction of the beds
The creation of earthworms is made in plots measuring 1m wide by a variable length according to needs, so the land or the desire of the farmer. Their edges should be wood, or pre-cast concrete or brick, according to the circumstances and especially the prices.
.
The depth of the beds should be 30cm. No need to make foundations, even the bricks, because they can be supported directly on the ground. In just 4 rows of bricks sitting with gravel.
The bottom of the bed should be somewhat compressed.
.
Pronto service, we fill the bed with manure and and more manure. This manure should be well washed with water to remove the urine, multo acidic and harmful to them. The next day, wet manure with a nozzle or watering can and put the worms in the proportion of 1 liter for each plot of 1m wide and 4m long, when the using the California red.
.
For the loading of the bed, we can use animal manure, household waste or other source of decaying organic matter, which, besides serving as a natural environment for earthworms, are used in their food. Therefore, the manure of cattle, the most widely used, it must be fermented, composted.
.
Initially, it is a layer of crop residues such as stalks and stems of plants, leaves, grass and bark, fiber (carbon), with about 30 cm high, on which is placed a layer of more about 10-15cm of fresh manure, rich in nitrogen and so on, until completing the cell. One should not forget that to make a new layer of fibrous material more manure, the previous layer should be moistened. This stack must be 1.50 tall, 2m wide and 5 to 6m in length, shaped like a roof with 4 walls.
.
After composting (about 30 days), when the cell temperature to cool, then we can put the compost in the bed for the worms to promote their humification.
.
When using manure, humus is ready in 45 to 50 days but when we use organic materials (debris, leaves, garbage etc..) Need 90 days for the compost is ready. According to Morganti, the largest raiser of worms, Brazil, the California red turns manure into humus more quickly, but the Brazilian worms have greater ability to transform organic matter. The only disadvantage of Brazilian worms is that they are less prolific.
.
The moisture in the beds is important and must be 35% to 50 worms and 40 to 45% for minhocuçús. In practice, we can check the moisture content of compost or manure in which they are earthworms.
.
For this, we took a handful of dough in hand and shake: if there is no sign of water or moisture, it is because the dough is too dry, if any sign of moisture, leaving a few drops, it is because it is good and drain water between our fingers, because there is excess moisture. For the beds retain moisture and also desired a more constant temperature of 18 to 20 ° C, preferably, we should do a cover of thatch or any other straw on the beds.
.
Collection
.
This is the most important operation, delicate and difficult, when manual. For this, we remove the soil of the bed, along with the worms and then sift, separating the animals. When the amount is too large, we can use tabs vehicles, like the rotating cylinder separators for stones, sizes, widely used in quarries.
.
The worms are thus separated and then packaged for sale, incorporated into the soil at the sites of plantations or placed in beds, for reproduction. The minhocuçús, however, must be collected with wire hooks, carefully not to hurt them.
.
Feeding the worms
.
As mentioned above, the worms' red from California - MDM "feed preferably organic waste decomposed or decomposing (remains of animals and plants).
As sources of raw material, we suggest:
- Animal manure;
- Manure from poultry farms;
- Poultry manure;
- Manure from hens;
- Manure quail;
- Manure from pigs;
- Pens;
- Horse manure
- Stud farm;
- Manure rabbits;
- Cattle manure
- Dairy and confined;
- Remains of crops, gardens, fresh produce, etc. ..;
- Agro-industrial wastes, dairy, food, textiles, etc.;
- Lodo de esgoto doméstico;
- Urban sewage sludge;
- Waste home or condominiums;
- Garbage power plant entrance.
.
As regards the use of raw materials, it is important to know that for each substrate or manure represents a quality or quantity of humus and before use, as well as with crop residues, is essential to have their preparation .
.
Origin of matrices
.
It is absolutely essential, too, that has the utmost care in selecting the headquarters for the initiation of the cultivation of earthworms. We will make an analogy with what happens in the choice of the herd to the farmer.
.
First he sets the goal, it will produce milk or meat, and then choose the right cattle, because usually, the cattle that produces milk does not produce much meat and vice versa.
The origin of the arrays is of fundamental importance for the beginner.
.
This is a major factor in future success: good origin of the arrays.
.
Management
.
Installed arrays, you need the daily handling (care), observing the conditions for an efficient reproduction, growth, healthy and appropriate, and rapidly transformed into humus. For this to occur, verify and maintain the following conditions on the construction site, the home of earthworms:
pH = 7.0
= temperature between 17 and 22
humidity = 80 to 85%
aeration = intense
Ideal conditions to be observed in a "home" of worms.
.
Harvest
.
When all the substrate is transformed into humus, it's time to harvest: the separation of
humus and earthworms. This time will depend on the amount of worms and the substrate of the bed..
.
Among the methods used in this separation, we quote:
- Table;
- Bait;
- Electrical;
- Sieve;
- Feedthrough;
- Mechanized.
.
The grading can be done manually, in a simple and efficient method for small farms. The electrical mechanical vibrating sieves are used in large farms.
.
The worms fall to the end of the flat screen and humus will fall along the same coming out already packed. It is preferable to use this type of screen than the rotary sieve adapted from the construction that has a death rate of around 30 to 50%, the result of improvisations always disastrous.
.
Controls
.
In any production, even small, one should be careful to make daily notes in order to avoid loss of data and numbers, for only then can it will get the most out of experience.
.
In conventional methods, initially, farmers are able to produce 200 to 250 kg of humus and
1kg of worms per square meter every 45 days while the international manufacturers cite as an average production of 4 kg worms / m and 400 kg / m² of humus / month.
.
Storage humus
.
Both the separation and storage of humus must be done in a shady, in a covered and well ventilated. Producers tend to store in bulk or bagged lots volumes of 40/60 liters. It is essential to maintain the humidity of humus to prolong their lifespan.
.
Note: 10 beds - 1 M X 10 M or approximately 100 M overall can produce 10 toms of good humus every 45 days or R$ 80,000 plus worms for sale. One liter of worms will sell for about R$ 45
per liter.
--------------------------------------
Interest is increasing in vermicomposting, the use of earthworms for composting in which earthworm convert organic wastes into castings and in vermiculture, and earthworm production.
.
Vermiculture and vermicomposting are very attractive economically, the process of separating earthworms for the substrate and collecting those worms is a major limiting factor.
The minhocultura and the production of humus in the context of family farming
.
There is consensus among farmers that "the land that has worms is better for the production of vegetables and fruits. They know the benefits of earthworms in the soil, such as aeration, greater capacity to retain water, and, of course, improving the chemical qualities.
.
Many farmers witness the positive effects of the earthworm on a range of crops. Humus, when produced in minimally controlled conditions, attacks organic waste in existing properties, such as manure and crop residues, to meet in many cases the need for fertilizer in a garden of small or medium size, especially in conditions of production of ecologically based material.
.
However, few farmers have taken advantage of this extraordinary little natural resource properties primarily due to lack of technical minhocultura and its peculiarities, the belief in the necessity of building expensive and complex structures for the creation, and even deception of previous experiences with unsuccessful attempts
.
Another aspect capable of inhibiting the farmer's decision to mount an earthworm farm is the confusion made between the legal requirements for commercial production of earthworms, or to
sell, and production for own use.
.
To use the properties of the earthworm it is not necessary to remove 100% of the worms and cocoons, or sift the compost to get a standard size, as these practices are required only for those who want to sell humus.
.
The economics of labor work done when they do these steps is significant and can be the difference in actual practice to enable their use.
.
Embrapa has developed some techniques for low cost and low requirement of skilled manpower to demonstrate the feasibility of production of humus on small family farms. These techniques include the earthworm bamboo 'deer' and earthworm tunnel.
.
In earthworm 'deer' the side walls are made of bamboo, woven to support the structure without the need for nails, wires or ropes. This earthworm 'deer' can be mounted outdoors in the shade of a tree and land with a slight slope to drain the excess water, with no need to isolate the bottom with cement or bricks, as the worms remain in the earthworm 'deer' as there is food.
.
To reduce the effects of rain, you can simply put the leaves of trees on the earthworm 'deer' or a cover made of bamboo. By being exposed to the climate the plants close, the compost produced has a quality not as good as it was produced in a more protected method, but justifies the cost negligible take-up in cases of lack of resources or for those farmers who, before they invest, want to better understand the minhocultura.
.
The earthworm under low tunnel is an improvement of earthworm 'deer', easily appropriated by those farmers who now cultivate species such as strawberry and lettuce in greenhouses of the same name. Construction of the tunnel is made just as in the beds for vegetables, with the placement of the arches, sheet support and mainstay in the headwaters and intends to tie the film. Under this structure is mounted on a wooden box, the width of the tunnel, and covered the bottom with mesh screen or perforated plastic film to facilitate the drainage of excess water. The humus produced this type of earthworm is a very good quality, especially for not being washed by rain. Furthermore, it is mobile and can be mounted next to the garden, facilitating the use of compost and monitoring the process.
.
The great advantage of these technologies is the fact that they can be done with simple materials with no cost or very low and can be adapted to the needs of farmers who want to take organic waste on the property in a more rational. Recycle, reduce dependence on foreign mineral fertilizers and at the same time reducing the costs of production are key foundations of a healthy agriculture and committed to the environment in which we live.
.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Planning a more commercial operation
.
Prior to the construction of the beds, must be planned properly the place where they will be installed, taking into account such factors as:
.
- Local water and electricity nearby;
- Place with the possibility of future expansion;
- Location no noise, no winds and rapid changes in temperature;
- Fresh air, which helps irrigation and conserves moisture.
.
The beds can be made of any material available such as: wood, bamboo, tiles, concrete block or asbestos, bricks, etc.. The construction should not lose the design futures.
.
You can raise worms in crates (hobby / research) to large sites for commercial production.
After the construction of the beds, the same procedure is followed.
.
The favorite food of the worms is manure. As the worm looks for and finds the food, to save time, avoid whenever possible, the mixture of raw materials. You can, however, mix the manure with other organic substrates to improve aeration and prevent compaction.
.
The amount of worms required for a construction site varies with the size and time you want to transform the substrate into humus.
.
Settlement of the worms
.
For starters: 1 liter of worms / square meter plot, with a length of 5 to 6 meters (phase of adaptation and multiplication of matrices).
.
Poppy trade:
.
5-6 liters or more of worms / square meter plot, since they were produced by farmers themselves.
.
The arrays must be placed freely on the surface of the bed once in the morning, and then covered with grass that protects the bed to prevent them from escaping during the night
.
When it comes to settlement of beds, the unit of measurement is the usual liter and one liter of earthworms corresponds to 1 kg and contains about 1200 to 1500 individuals
(depending on the size of the arrays), the species E. foetida is 300 to 350.
.
Construction of the beds
The creation of earthworms is made in plots measuring 1m wide by a variable length according to needs, so the land or the desire of the farmer. Their edges should be wood, or pre-cast concrete or brick, according to the circumstances and especially the prices.
.
The depth of the beds should be 30cm. No need to make foundations, even the bricks, because they can be supported directly on the ground. In just 4 rows of bricks sitting with gravel.
The bottom of the bed should be somewhat compressed.
.
Pronto service, we fill the bed with manure and and more manure. This manure should be well washed with water to remove the urine, multo acidic and harmful to them. The next day, wet manure with a nozzle or watering can and put the worms in the proportion of 1 liter for each plot of 1m wide and 4m long, when the using the California red.
.
For the loading of the bed, we can use animal manure, household waste or other source of decaying organic matter, which, besides serving as a natural environment for earthworms, are used in their food. Therefore, the manure of cattle, the most widely used, it must be fermented, composted.
.
Initially, it is a layer of crop residues such as stalks and stems of plants, leaves, grass and bark, fiber (carbon), with about 30 cm high, on which is placed a layer of more about 10-15cm of fresh manure, rich in nitrogen and so on, until completing the cell. One should not forget that to make a new layer of fibrous material more manure, the previous layer should be moistened. This stack must be 1.50 tall, 2m wide and 5 to 6m in length, shaped like a roof with 4 walls.
.
After composting (about 30 days), when the cell temperature to cool, then we can put the compost in the bed for the worms to promote their humification.
.
When using manure, humus is ready in 45 to 50 days but when we use organic materials (debris, leaves, garbage etc..) Need 90 days for the compost is ready. According to Morganti, the largest raiser of worms, Brazil, the California red turns manure into humus more quickly, but the Brazilian worms have greater ability to transform organic matter. The only disadvantage of Brazilian worms is that they are less prolific.
.
The moisture in the beds is important and must be 35% to 50 worms and 40 to 45% for minhocuçús. In practice, we can check the moisture content of compost or manure in which they are earthworms.
.
For this, we took a handful of dough in hand and shake: if there is no sign of water or moisture, it is because the dough is too dry, if any sign of moisture, leaving a few drops, it is because it is good and drain water between our fingers, because there is excess moisture. For the beds retain moisture and also desired a more constant temperature of 18 to 20 ° C, preferably, we should do a cover of thatch or any other straw on the beds.
.
Collection
.
This is the most important operation, delicate and difficult, when manual. For this, we remove the soil of the bed, along with the worms and then sift, separating the animals. When the amount is too large, we can use tabs vehicles, like the rotating cylinder separators for stones, sizes, widely used in quarries.
.
The worms are thus separated and then packaged for sale, incorporated into the soil at the sites of plantations or placed in beds, for reproduction. The minhocuçús, however, must be collected with wire hooks, carefully not to hurt them.
.
Feeding the worms
.
As mentioned above, the worms' red from California - MDM "feed preferably organic waste decomposed or decomposing (remains of animals and plants).
As sources of raw material, we suggest:
- Animal manure;
- Manure from poultry farms;
- Poultry manure;
- Manure from hens;
- Manure quail;
- Manure from pigs;
- Pens;
- Horse manure
- Stud farm;
- Manure rabbits;
- Cattle manure
- Dairy and confined;
- Remains of crops, gardens, fresh produce, etc. ..;
- Agro-industrial wastes, dairy, food, textiles, etc.;
- Lodo de esgoto doméstico;
- Urban sewage sludge;
- Waste home or condominiums;
- Garbage power plant entrance.
.
As regards the use of raw materials, it is important to know that for each substrate or manure represents a quality or quantity of humus and before use, as well as with crop residues, is essential to have their preparation .
.
Origin of matrices
.
It is absolutely essential, too, that has the utmost care in selecting the headquarters for the initiation of the cultivation of earthworms. We will make an analogy with what happens in the choice of the herd to the farmer.
.
First he sets the goal, it will produce milk or meat, and then choose the right cattle, because usually, the cattle that produces milk does not produce much meat and vice versa.
The origin of the arrays is of fundamental importance for the beginner.
.
This is a major factor in future success: good origin of the arrays.
.
Management
.
Installed arrays, you need the daily handling (care), observing the conditions for an efficient reproduction, growth, healthy and appropriate, and rapidly transformed into humus. For this to occur, verify and maintain the following conditions on the construction site, the home of earthworms:
pH = 7.0
= temperature between 17 and 22
humidity = 80 to 85%
aeration = intense
Ideal conditions to be observed in a "home" of worms.
.
Harvest
.
When all the substrate is transformed into humus, it's time to harvest: the separation of
humus and earthworms. This time will depend on the amount of worms and the substrate of the bed..
.
Among the methods used in this separation, we quote:
- Table;
- Bait;
- Electrical;
- Sieve;
- Feedthrough;
- Mechanized.
.
The grading can be done manually, in a simple and efficient method for small farms. The electrical mechanical vibrating sieves are used in large farms.
.
The worms fall to the end of the flat screen and humus will fall along the same coming out already packed. It is preferable to use this type of screen than the rotary sieve adapted from the construction that has a death rate of around 30 to 50%, the result of improvisations always disastrous.
.
Controls
.
In any production, even small, one should be careful to make daily notes in order to avoid loss of data and numbers, for only then can it will get the most out of experience.
.
In conventional methods, initially, farmers are able to produce 200 to 250 kg of humus and
1kg of worms per square meter every 45 days while the international manufacturers cite as an average production of 4 kg worms / m and 400 kg / m² of humus / month.
.
Storage humus
.
Both the separation and storage of humus must be done in a shady, in a covered and well ventilated. Producers tend to store in bulk or bagged lots volumes of 40/60 liters. It is essential to maintain the humidity of humus to prolong their lifespan.
.
Note: 10 beds - 1 M X 10 M or approximately 100 M overall can produce 10 toms of good humus every 45 days or R$ 80,000 plus worms for sale. One liter of worms will sell for about R$ 45
per liter.
Comment
-
Comment by Donald Reid on October 24, 2009 at 1:13pm -
An alternative smaller worm raising system that can be used by individuals for their own use.
-
Comment by Donald Reid on October 24, 2009 at 11:30am
-
This is what a small earthworm raising facility looks like. For less than US$ 3000, we can build a facility like this on Christian's farm that with approximately 8 hrs. work per week we could feasibly generate some $ 15,000 in products every 60 days. These funds would be applied in continuous Family Agriculture projects in the northeast. Area used would be less that 100 sq meters.
About
Videos
Latest Activity
3BL Media, the experts in corporate social responsibility (CSR), sustainability and cause marketing communications, today announced that it has launched 3bl.me, the company’s cause-based URL shortener. For each URL shortened via 3bl.me, 3BL Media wi…
This is terrific! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for sharing this one, Steve. I hadn't seen it - and it is so in line with the OurWorld way of thinking. And Jared Diamond is a really thoughtful, credible source!
© 2009 Created by Jeff on Ning. Create a Ning Network!
You need to be a member of OurWorld to add comments!
Join this Ning Network