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This is a badge bit (BB) that is part of the PEA curriculum. Completing this BB is part of getting the sand badge in Animal Care.

In this Badge Bit you will make a vermicomposting system.  It can't be a kit but you can use store bought materials to construct it.  There is a BB for building one in Dimensional Lumber Woodworking.



Minimum requirements:
  - it must have a drain and tea collection system

Provide proof of the following as pictures or video (<2 mins):
  - starting materials
  - bin under construction
  - completed bin
  - worms going in
  - a week or two later with the system in use and food scraps getting consumed

COMMENTS:
 
pollinator
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Here’s my BB submission

I built a vermiposter for the the PEA Dimensional Lumber Bit Badge

Here are two of the frames and lid



I was originally going to build a frame over a plastic trough. I decided instead to make a worm tea capture system using oil cloth. The trough could go back to it’s original purpose, mixing compost for seed trays, containers and house plants. I had recently learnt to make oil cloth for a PEP Textile Badge. I built the frame from scrap wood and the rest of the pallet wood I had built the lid from. These are the side supports half way through the build.



Here’s the finished frame designed for stability. The first tray is a nice snug fit. The tea falls onto the oil cloth and drains to the front where I can place a bowl.





I covered the wire mesh with newspaper and then sprayed it with water



Next, I added spent compost that is full of dead roots and wet woody material.



I sprinkled the surface with a weeks worth of spent coffee grounds. I already have a worm farm which I built from a plastic tote in my pre permies days. I collected some worms and moved them to their new home.





There first meal was chopped up banana skin, which I partially buried in one corner of the mound.



Here’s the finished farm with lid, worms, compost, food and collection system. It’s in my basement which has an ambient winter temperature of between 14 and 18’C. It’s where my previous worm farm overwintered and thrived.



Here’s a typical bowl of food. It’s chopped up out leaves from sprouts and a cardboard egg box ripped up and soaked in water.



Here’s where I buried the banana 1 week ago - lots of happy worms!

Staff note (Mike Haasl) :

I certify this BB complete!

 
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My worm bin is an upcycled broken tub.
PXL_20220615_181447038.jpg
Bunny bedding going in
Bunny bedding going in
PXL_20220615_182104083.MP.jpg
Couple of scoops of garden dirt
Couple of scoops of garden dirt
PXL_20220615_182226874.jpg
All the compost that accumulate during the winter
All the compost that accumulate during the winter
PXL_20220615_182339652.jpg
More dirt
More dirt
PXL_20220615_182403949.jpg
Add the wormy goodness
Add the wormy goodness
PXL_20220615_183000865.MP.jpg
I don't mind other creatures sharing the bounty
I don
PXL_20220615_183648483.jpg
Blanket to protect worms from sun
Blanket to protect worms from sun
PXL_20220615_183655504.jpg
And birds
And birds
PXL_20220615_183746886.MP.jpg
Volunteers I rescued
Volunteers I rescued
PXL_20220502_012249159.jpg
Water with rain excess drains out
Water with rain excess drains out
 
steward
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Are those compost worms (red wigglers or equivalent) or worms from the garden?  I believe those are two very different kind of worm species.

Why is it full of water in that last picture?  Seems like the worms would die...
 
Aurora House
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Mike Haasl wrote:Are those compost worms (red wigglers or equivalent) or worms from the garden?  I believe those are two very different kind of worm species.

Why is it full of water in that last picture?  Seems like the worms would die...


I bought red rigglers, European earth worms, and a "worm farm" from bob's worm farm last Christmas for my nephews present. Said worm farm was about the size of a shoe box so I split worms with nephews and made my own farm out of that broken tub. Their farm dried out with total worm causalities to Mom's creepy crawly relief. Then I see I can get a BB for a worm farm and decide to referbish mine after the winter.
Water is so all dry material gets damp. The tub is usually flat on ground so I'm sure some bought worms have escaped to the garden, some wild worms may have found their way into this damn cushy location. So they're most likely reds.
 
Mike Haasl
steward
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Ok, that sounds good.  Then just to clarify, here are the minimum requirements and the required photos.  Could you please resubmit your BB with just those required photos so we can tell what is what?  It's hard to know which pic is which above.  Thanks!

Minimum requirements:
  - it must have a drain and tea collection system

Provide proof of the following as pictures or video (<2 mins):
  - starting materials
  - bin under construction
  - completed bin
  - worms going in
  - a week or two later with the system in use and food scraps getting consumed


 
Aurora House
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Approved submission
Resubmit
And we wrapped around to the winter prep (Nov) the old worm blanket has gone to the compost gods, more bunny bedding, and tucked in with a new worm blanket.
PXL_20220615_181447038.jpg
Start material cracked bin and bunny bedding
Start material cracked bin and bunny bedding
PXL_20220502_012249159.jpg
Drain crack move bin to where I'd like tea
Drain crack move bin to where I
PXL_20220615_182104083.MP.jpg
Laying in bedding material
Laying in bedding material
PXL_20220615_183655504.jpg
Finnish bin
Finnish bin
PXL_20220615_182403949.jpg
Worms going in
Worms going in
PXL_20220614_223828033.jpg
Volunteers stone fruit
Volunteers stone fruit
PXL_20220615_183746886.MP.jpg
Stone fruit ready to move to better location
Stone fruit ready to move to better location
20201111_094135.jpg
Nephews and shoebox farm
Nephews and shoebox farm
PXL_20221025_150624460.MP.jpg
Worm tea collection for house plants
Worm tea collection for house plants
PXL_20221025_214643843.MP.jpg
Juggling phone while fertilizing
Juggling phone while fertilizing
PXL_20221123_165541541.jpg
Worm blanket is dead long live the worm blanket
Worm blanket is dead long live the worm blanket
PXL_20221123_165652055.jpg
Little for house plants
Little for house plants
PXL_20221123_170423648.jpg
Bunny bedding
Bunny bedding
PXL_20221123_170549946.jpg
Reworm
Reworm
PXL_20221123_170634938.jpg
All tucked in.
All tucked in.
Staff note (gir bot) :

Someone approved this submission.

 
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