Composting worms its way into homes

Sara Rittman presents an informational session on worm composting on Saturday, May 21, 2022, at Runge Nature Center, in Jefferson City. (Kate Cassady/News Tribune photo)
Sara Rittman presents an informational session on worm composting on Saturday, May 21, 2022, at Runge Nature Center, in Jefferson City. (Kate Cassady/News Tribune photo)

When combined, icky, somewhat slimy worms and food waste can be beneficial.

Sara Rittman, a volunteer naturalist at Runge Nature Center in Jefferson City, taught an annual class Saturday on using worms to break food products down into compost. Rittman has presented a class on vermicomposting for about two decades.

"Worm Bin Basics" explains how to get started with, and how to maintain, a composting worm bin.

Rittman explained that you set up the worm bin (in a plastic or wooden bin) with a bedding of paper or cardboard. The bin may be on the large side but may also be as small as a gallon ice cream container.

"The worms make very valuable compost," she said. "That compost is very good for gardening. That is the output from the worms."

The naturalist's class would normally take one of her already active bins outside and separate the worms from their castings -- a "politically correct" reference to their droppings, Rittman said -- but severe thunderstorms forced her class to stay inside. Instead, she spread castings out on a table and let her class of about a dozen curious onlookers poke through and study the worms.

Responses to the class have been positive, she said. Occasionally, someone may contact her and describe a difficulty they've encountered.

"People find it interesting that if we could keep garbage out of landfills, that it would do a lot," Rittman said.

As part of the program, Rittman plays a segment of video from a film called "Tossed Out: Food Waste in America."

Landfills received more food waste than any other waste, the film shows. About 20 percent of what goes into landfills each year is food waste, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. And as food breaks down in a landfill, it creates methane gas, which is a leading cause of global warming.

A lot of thought and care goes into creating a vermicomposting bin, she told listeners.

First is the type of worms necessary. Not just any worms work for the process. Rittman recommends little red wigglers, which stay close to the surface of the soil they are in, unlike something like a nightcrawler, which likes to dig deep.

Next, she said, is the choice of containers. Containers were once all made of wood, but now are mostly available in plastics. Plastic storage bins will do. One-gallon ice cream containers may be used for small "starter" vermicomposting bins.

Holes must be poked in the bins' tops (to allow air flow) and bottoms (to allow excess moisture to drain out). For that reason, Rittman recommends the bins are placed in a larger container to capture water that drips out of the bottoms.

They also must be covered to keep light out.

Shredded paper or cardboard should be placed in the bins as bedding materials. Rittman recommends using eggshells or pulverized limestone (avoid slaked or hydrated limestone) in the bins to neutralize any acidity. There should be enough moisture in the bedding that it feels like a damp sponge.

It may take some trial and error to determine the correct amount of food waste to put in with the worms, so there isn't too much moisture. Feed the worms fruits and vegetables and coffee grounds. You may even compost some filters. Avoid meats and dairy because they attract pests.

Also don't place the bin in a place that may be too hot or cold.

"Most of the time, mine is in my kitchen," Rittman said. "(Worms) really like best -- about the same temperatures that we like best."

When done properly, a worm bin itself should smell like fresh dirt.

Sibu Daniels, 8, of Columbia had questions during the class.

"I'm curious about tons of things," Sibu said. However, not so much about worms. "It's disgusting."

  photo  Sara Rittman presents an informational session on worm composting on Saturday, May 21, 2022, at Runge Nature Center in Jefferson City. (Kate Cassady/News Tribune photo)
 
 
  photo  Sara Rittman presents an informational session on worm composting on Saturday, May 21, 2022, at Runge Nature Center in Jefferson City. Rittman holds eggshells as an example on bedding to use in one's compost bin. (Kate Cassady/News Tribune photo)