WormWoman’s WormEzine Vol 3, No 1 Page 1 of 10

WormEzine Vol. 3, No. 1, January 2004

News and information from Mary Appelhof

about vermicomposting, worms, and other critters that live in the soil.

January 2004 Copyright Flowerfield Enterprises 2004 FREE

Email:mary@wormwoman.com Phone: 269-327-0108 FAX: 269-327-7009
Address:10332 Shaver Road, Kalamazoo, MI 49024 USA
Web site www.wormwoman.com

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For the Small Print, scroll to end.

They laughed when I said worms eat my garbage,

but I showed them how, and now thousands say the same thing

A WORD FROM MARY APPELHOF aka Worm Woman

====================================================

You could say we are in the January doldrums here. It’s cold outside, there is snow on the
ground, but you can still drive without getting stuck. The FAX machine only functions about
every other day. I think there may be a break in the line that lets moisture in and makes it
inoperative. Just when I am ready to call in a service technician it works again. Nancy has been
out tending to the needs of a very sick daughter who needs her more than I do at the moment.
But, thanks to Beth who has come in to check emails from the website, process orders, and take
care of most of the shipping, we are muddling through.

I am making arrangements for my coming trip to Vladimir, Russia, for the 2nd
International Conference on Earthworms and Soil Fertility where I have been invited to speak
about my work. I will be going as an ACDI/VOCA volunteer for a two-week assignment in the
Vladimir region about 3 hours by train north of Moscow. I will be giving presentations and
meeting with schools and businesses, as well as visiting vermicomposting operations prior to my
return to the states on March 30. Fortunately, ADCI/VOCA has procedures and timelines
required for getting the necessary letter of invitation and visa, so I don’t have to figure it all out
myself.
The feature this month is the third and final section of George Chan’s Integrated Farming
Systems paper. I thank him for his generosity in letting me publish his material. He has much
more to offer, but it is not generally available, so I wanted to expose you to his work and ideas.

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We need more system thinkers who can design ways to make lives better for people in poverty,
but with rich cultures. George Chan is truly a remarkable person and I hope he will see more
projects become realities during his lifetime. You can bet his favorites will be the ones with
smiling pigs!

The Christian Science Monitor this week had an article describing how many Britons are
“downshifting” from the rat race by taking less demanding jobs to spend more time with their
families and spend their time in more personally satisfying ways. The article said, “With the
proper forward planning, an enhanced quality of life is something everybody can achieve.” I
took a stab at defining “Quality of Life” at the time I started my work with worms 32 years ago.
It was well-received at the Vermico conference in Portland last fall and I’d like to share it with
you here.

Stay warm. Take care of your worms. And enjoy reading something that brings you
pleasure. That may, or may not be, this WormEzine!

Mary Appelhof

Changing the way the world thinks about garbage

CONTENTS of this issue

1. Feature
2. Essay
3. Notable Bits
4. Q&A
5. Coming Events
6. Product Highlights
7. About the Author
8. The Small Print

1=========================FEATURE=======================
Integrated Farming System

George Chan
Environmental Management Consultant
ZERI

PART II
For PDF file of Part I; go to http://www.wormwoman.com
For photos, go to:
http://www.wormwoman.com/acatalog/ezine-sept-chan/ezine_chan_01.html

CROP FIELD -- The IFS has a paradoxical situation where there is too much fertilizer when it
is lacking in other systems, and there is a need to find more ways of using it. Apart from growing
vine-type crops on the edges of the pond, and letting them climb on trellises over the dykes and
over the water, some countries have succeeded in growing some aquatic vegetables floating on
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water surfaces in lakes and rivers. Others have grown grains, fruits and flowers on bamboo or the
longer-lasting polyurethane floats over nearly half the surface of the fish pond water, without
interfering with the polyculture of 5-6 kinds of fish in the pond itself. Such aquaponic cultures
have increased the crop fields by utilizing half of the millions of hectares of fish ponds and lakes
in China. All this has been made possible because of the excess nutrients from the integrated
farming systems.

Planting patterns have also been improved with the aquaponic culture. For example, rice
is now transplanted into modules of 12 identical floats, one every week, and just left to grow in
the pond without having to irrigate or fertilize separately, or to do any weeding, while it takes 12
weeks to mature. On the 13th week, the rice is harvested and the seedlings transplanted again to
start a new cycle. It is possible to have 4 rice crops yearly in the warmer parts of the country,
with almost elimination of the backbreaking work.

Another example is to do hydroponic cultures of fruits and similar vegetables in a series

of pipes placed in a triangular shape, and have the highly mineralized pond water enhanced with
added missing elements, to run from the top through the other pipes, all holding the plants. This
setup allows higher yields per unit surface area of the costly hydroponic building.

The final effluent is polished in earthen drains where macrophytes such as Lemna,
Azolla, Pistia, and even Water hyacinth are grown to remove all traces of nutrients such as
nitrate, phosphate and potassium before releasing the pure water to the aquifer.

PROCESSING One very big problem with market produce is the drop in prices when farmers
harvest the same crops at the same time, and the big losses caused by unsold produce because of
the glut. Simple processes such as smoking, drying, Îvinegaring,Ì salting, sugaring, pickling, etc.
should be taught to all farmers so that they do not spoil their surplus stocks. With the almost free
access to abundant biogas energy, they can now have more sophisticated processing of their
produce for both preservation and added value.

The importance of an adequate source of almost free biogas energy in the integrated
farming system cannot be stressed enough, as most countries are short of this essential resource
for economic as well as social development, especially in remote and isolated areas. Biogas will
still be available when fossil fuels run out.

RESIDUES In the integrated farming system, there are more biomass such as stabilized digester
sludge, dead algae, macrophytes, crop and processing residues. Considering that livestock only
used 15-20% of the feeds they eat, and excrete the rest in their wastes, the latter can still be quite
rich. So everything must be done to recycle them and make better use of their byproducts, which
is what the IFS is actually doing.

The sludge, algae, macrophytes, crop and processing residues are put into plastic bags,
sterilized in steam produced by biogas energy, and then injected with appropriate spores for
high-priced mushroom culture. The mushroom enzymes not only break down the lingo-cellulose
to release the nutritive ingredients, but also enrich the residues as more digestible and even more
palatable feeds for livestock. The remaining fibrous residues can still be used for culture of
earthworms, which then provide special protein feeds for chickens. The final residues, including
the abundant worm castings, are composted and used for soil conditioning and aeration.
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CONCLUSION

There is not doubt at all about all the additional benefits that the small, medium or big
farmers can derive from the IFS, through the recycling of otherwise unused wastes as renewable
resources, providing the essential means of production such as fertilizer, feed and fuel that can
make most farming activities economically viable and ecologically sustainable. By ignoring the
concept of the IFS, because of criminal ignorance or stupid prejudice, most farmers will remain
poor and be deprived of all the benefits that are the basic human rights of every man, woman and
child on this earth, which has more than adequate resources for everybody, now and for future
generations.

References

Chaboussou, F., 1980. Les Plantes Malades des Pesticides. Editions Debard, Paris, FRANCE.

Chan, G.L., 1996. The Rural-Urban Conncection. World Bank: Sustainable Development
Conference Mimeo 18pp, USA

Chan, G.L., 1993. Aquaculture, Ecological Engineering: Lessons from China. AMBIO, Vol.
22.22 No. 7, November 1993, pp 491-494. SWEDEN

Chan, G.L., 1985. Integrated Farming System. Elsevier Science Publications, Amsterdam,
NETHERLANDS

DeZeeuw, H. (ETC.), Rijnsburger, J. (WASTE), 1998. Sustainable Wastewater Recycling

Management in Support of Community Development. ETC, Leusden, NETHERLANDS

Kiely, G. Environmental Engineering. McGraw-Hill International Editions, USA

Mulhall, D., Hansen, K., 1998. A Cycle of Cycles Ò Guide to Wastewater Recycling in Tropical
Regions. Hamburger Umweltinstitut e. V., GERMANY & European Commission, Brussels,
BELGIUM

NACA, 1989. Integrated Fish Farming in China, NACA Technical Manual 7, Bangkok,
THAILAND and Asian-Pacific Regional Research & Training Centre, Wuxi, CHINA
Pauli, G. 1998. UPSIZING: Integrated Biomass System, pp 152-180. Greenleaf Publishing.
Sheffield, UK

Prein, M. ICLARM contribution No. 1611, 2001. Integration of Aquaculture into Crop-Animal
Systems in Asia. Agricultural Systems 71 pp 127-146. Elsevier Science Ltd., Amsterdam,
NETHERLANDS

Zhong, G.F., Wang, Z.Q., Wu, H.S., 1997. Land-Water Interactions of the Dike-Pond System.
Presses Universitaires de Namur and Eco-Technologie des Eaux Continentales, BELGIUM

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2============================ESSAY===========================

Quality of Life vs. Standard of Living

by Mary Appelhof

I would like us to strive for, and encourage, Quality of Life. I do not necessarily equate
"Standard of Living" with "Quality of Life." Quality of Life to me, means being able to earn a
living doing work which has the potential to be interesting work, in an environment conducive to
having pride in the product of one's efforts. It is important to me that the character of this work
provide for the worker not only a meaningful wage, but also a means for deriving the self-respect
and dignity which arise from the knowledge that one's work is necessary, and worthy of being
done well.

Quality of Life, to me, does not mean having more television sets with which to watch
mediocre programs, frequent commercials, or re-runs of re-runs; it does not mean having more
push-button gadgets in the kitchen to make it easier to froth up that stuff in the box; it does not
mean having more aerosol cans in the cupboard to squirt cleanser or insecticide, or hairspray,
or deodorant, or dust-catcher.

Quality of Life, to me, means being well enough educated to be able to read with
understanding, to write without being ashamed, to have enough facility with figures to be able to
evaluate whether I am perhaps being cheated, or sold a bill of goods by statistical manipulation.

Quality of Life, to me, means feeling that I have some control over my destiny; being able
to make mistakes and learn from them; being able to synthesize the inputs from the world about
me, interpret the phenomena I observe, and being able to express these observations and
interpretations without fear that my life will be effectively snuffed out because they are perhaps
unpopular interpretations.

Quality of Life, to me, means being able to function with integrity in one's work, one's
play, one's ideas. If circumstances are, or become such, that this is not possible, Quality of Life,
to me, has not been achieved.

I wrote the previous piece in April, 1972, and presented it at Detroit Hearings prior to the
Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. In Stockholm I was strongly influenced by
Barry Commoner, by Margaret Mead, by Paoli Soleri. But I also knew that I was on the right
track in my vision, which I now express as my mission, "to change the way the world thinks
about garbage." We need to think of it as a resource, rather than something to throw "away,"
when there is no "away."

3=============================NOTABLE BITS========================
A. SPREADING THE WORM THROUGH SONG. Tom Hodgson is a musical educator and
entertainer who performs with his 6 and 12-string guitars in school assemblies, at library
programs, in nature centers, at festivals, and at campgrounds teaching about the environment and
entertaining at the same time. One of his most popular programs is “Music for Mother Earth,”
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th
geared to elementary students Pre-K-6 grade. He leads up to singing and talking about worms
by teaching about recycling. Food waste is more of a problem, but it, of course, can be
composted. Then he talks about how the kids can use worms to compost their own lunch wastes
right inside their classroom. As the kids file out of the auditorium he has an active worm bin that
they can look into and touch a worm if they want. Of course there are lots of squeals and yuchs,
but the kids love it. Over the past 15 years, Tom estimates that he has reached over 250,000
children and adults with his musical messages. He limits his performance to about a 2-hour
driving radius from his home near Ann Arbor, Michigan. Groups in Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana
may contact him at 734-475-2792 or email him at hodgsonstc@aol.com

B. DALLAS NEWS JAN 8, 2004. Rebecca Perry caters to kids and their parents as she describes
how and why to start worm composting indoors. The fact that she is a gardener and mother of
seven kids speaks to her credibility for tackling this subject.
http://www.dallasnews.com/texasliving/housegarden/columnists/rperry/stories/010904dnhgbloo
merjan.35d19.html

C. WASHINGTON POST JAN 11, 2004. In addition to being a black professional in a civil
service career, Jimmy Mott spent a lifetime as a community activist organizing racially
integrated citizens associations to create better living conditions and lives for everyone. After
retirement he taught himself to play the organ and guitar. He must have heard about worms from
someone, for the day he died from two strokes after surgery, he spent a few hours building worm
composting bins for a new venture.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A6882-2004Jan10?language=printer

4===========================Q & A===========================

Dear Wormwoman,

I live in Central Scotland where a typical summer max temp is 18C.I plan to put the wormery in
my unheated greenhouse which is shaded and has an automatic vent. Can I leave my setup
unattended for a month - July- while I take a trip to Canada?

best wishes

George

Dear George,

Not very warm there in Central Scotland, is it? I would think that having your unit in a shaded
greenhouse with an automatic vent to keep it from overheating would be OK, even for a month
untended. My main concern would be about drying out. . with air movement in a fairly warm
atmosphere, the unit (and worms) could lose a lot of moisture. Can you have someone stop in
and check them out about mid-time? Give 'em a shot of food and drink of water.

Good luck.

Mary Appelhof

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Dear Wormwoman,

Because of space limitations in my home my worm bin has been banished to

my unfinished and unheated basement. Consequently, in the winter the
basement and the worm bin get very cold. The worms don't get as cold as
an outdoor bin, but the temperature seems to hover around 60 degrees F.
The problem is that when the temperature drops the worms are not nearly
as active and are very slow in processing their food. I would like to
find some way to heat the bin so the worms would be more active. I have
seen the instructions on this web site for heating an outdoor bin, but I
think this is simply to keep the bin from freezing solid so I don't
think the procedure applies to me. What I've also seen is a soil heating
cable that is typically used for germinating seeds. It has a thermostat
that keeps the temperature around 72-74 degrees F.

Do you think the reason my worms are not as active is because of the
lower temperature?

Do you think the heating cable is a possible solution to heating the

bin.

Do you have any other suggestions?

Thank You

Marty C. W.

Dear Marty,

Yes, the worms are not nearly as active at 40, or 50 degrees F as they would be at 65 or 70. I
used a soil heating cable one year and it maintained a toasty 68 degrees in my garage even during
below zero weather. Some people use aquarium heaters (immersed in water, of course) with
adjustable thermostats with success. Others use a light bulb in the bin itself, although it could
interfere with the worms' activities. Seed germination mats are also used by some people, and
they have adjustable thermostats in the 70's range.

Go for it and good luck!

Mary Appelhof

5======================COMING EVENTS======================

A. SATURDAY, FEB. 7, 2004, HASTINGS, MICHIGAN. Worms Eat my Garbage: They Can
Eat Yours Too! Join Mary Appelhof, author of Worms Eat My Garbage and Worms Eat Our
Garbage: Classroom Activities for a Better Environment to learn how eight pounds of stinky,
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household garbage each week can be transformed into nutrient-rich humus to fertilize your
garden and houseplants. By vermicomposting, participants contribute to water conservation,
energy conservation, and soil preservation while reducing the amount of household waste ending
up in landfills. During this workshop, students can expect to learn about worms and how they
benefit the environment. Each participant will receive a copy of Mary Appelhof's Worms Eat My
Garbage. For an additional fee, participants also have the opportunity to take home a
vermicomposting (worm compost) bin (additional fee required).
Time: 2 - 4 pm
Cost: Members: $25 includes program fee and book (Worms Eat My Garbage)
$65.00 includes program fee, book, and vermicomposting bin. Bin includes worms.
Non-Members: $27 includes program fee and book (Worms Eat My Garbage) $65.00 includes
program fee, book, and bin. Worm-w-way® bin includes worms or a worm coupon.
Phone: (269) 721-4190

B. FEBRUARY. 9 SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS. Vermisymposium sponsored by the Illinois

Dept. of Commerce and Illinois Dept. of Agriculture. Mary Appelhof will be a featured speaker.
All day symposium will be followed the next day with a visit to a large worm farm in Bunker
Hill, Illinois. Contact Bret Ivers at 217-524-5859 for more information.

C. MARCH 17-20, VLADIMIR, RUSSIA. EARTHWORMS AND SOIL FERTILITY.

Sponsored by the Interregional Scientific Practical Corporation "PIK" Ltd;,
Russian Academy of Agriculture,Vladimir Scientific Institute of Investigations in
Agriculture,Vladimir State Pedagogical University and Vladimir State University,
and Vladimir Region Administration and Department of Agriculture. This will be the
2nd International Scientific Practical Conference.

The scientific programme of the conference includes plenary, sectional and stand reports on the
following problems:
- biology and selection of destructors (microorganisms and earthworms) of organic wastes
and environmental pollution;
- methods of composting and vermicomposting of organic wastes;
- industrial technologies of composting and vermicomposting of organic wastes;
- production of ecologically pure organic fertilizers;
- production and application of humic substances in agriculture;
- increase of soil's fertility and production of ecologically pure agricultural crop yields;
- restoration of polluted soils with microorganisms and earthworms;
biotechnologies of food additives and bioactive substances production.
Time is getting short to obtain the necessary letter of invitation and obtain a visa from the
Russian Embassy. Contact Dr. Igor Titov for further information. ic_pic@port33.ru

D. MARCH 29-MAY 16, 2004. ECOVERSITY offers a ZERI course: FROM TRASH TO
TREASURE. ZERI-Certified Practioners Margo Covington, Lynda Taylor, Miguel Santistevan,
and Dick White are offering this 8-week course, which they describe as ìan exciting approach to
"treasure hunts" from what we're throwing away. Rather than seeing trash as an expense or a
problem, filling up landfills or leaching into groundwater, you'll learn how to see treasure that
can provide and exceed basic human needs, while also enhancing the environment and natural
resources, and generating local business opportunities. Participants in this course will learn the
basics of the ZERI approach. Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA Call (505) 424-9797 or go to:
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HYPERLINK "http://www.ecoversity.org"
http://www.ecoversity.org

E. MAY 15, 2004. TILLERS INTERNATIONAL WORM COMPOSTING WORKSHOP. All

day workshop with Mary Appelhof in Kalamazoo. You can go home from this workshop with a
bin and worms for less than the cost of buying a worm bin over the internet. You will get lots of
information you won’t find in books, you will meet others interested in worm composting, and
you’ll see how easy it really is! Contact: 1-800-498-2700 If you can’t make it to the workshop,
at least take a look at their website and see all the neat things they do at Tillers!
http://www.wmich.edu/tillers/home/

6. =====================PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS===================
OPPORTUNITY. Are you in the worm business in one way or another? Are you interested in
expanding your product offerings related to worms? Do you have redworms to sell, but no
supporting materials for your customers such as how-to books and educational videos? You can
offer the best materials available for getting people started in worms. Not so they can compete
against you, but so they can turn organic wastes from their own households into environmentally
safe nutrients for their gardens. I have developed a program that enables you to offer my books,
videos, and patented Worm-a-way worm bin to your customers with a minimum purchase
requirement from you. I have a product flyer developed that you can use that is nearly camera-
ready. . . you need to figure out shipping costs for your customers and add your name, address,
and contact information. When you give presentations to schools or exhibit at garden shows,
having my colorful and informative books to sell will help establish your own credibility. Please
contact me by phone at 269-327-0108 or at my personal email at mappelho@tds.net and tell me
you would like details about the Package Deal. I’ll also want you to tell me a bit about yourself
and what you would like to do. Then perhaps we can develop what I like to call a symbiotic
relationship-- one that is mutually beneficial-- and the kind I like my business relationships to be.

7======================ABOUT THE AUTHOR=====================

Mary Appelhof is founder and president of Flowerfield Enterprises, which

develops and markets educational materials on vermicomposting. Its publishing imprint is
Flower Press, publisher of the how-to book Worms Eat My Garbage, the classroom activity book
and curriculum guide, Worms Eat Our Garbage: Classroom Activities for a
Better Environment, The Worm Cafe: Mid-scale vermicomposting of lunchroom wastes,
and Diabetes at 14: Choosing tighter control for an active life, which is not about
vermicomposting, but is an invaluable asset for anyone affected by diabetes.

8====================== THE Small PRINT====================

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