Vermiculture!? What the heck is that? Well, it's all about worms. That's right! Vermes is the Latin word for worms, so vermiculture is the study of worms. But what does that have to do with Extension?
Worms are nature's recyclers. They break down organic matter such as dead plants, decaying animals, and animal feces into valuable nutrients necessary for rich and fertile soil. Besides that, worms are big business!
Before we look at modern times and at the "business" side of worms (vermiculture), let us go back in time to the days of mood rings and bell bottoms---back to the 1970s when music reflected the times in which we lived. Back to the era when Alabama A&M University's Extension program first began to promote vermiculture. In the days of Shaft, Superfly, Three Dog Night, and Starsky & Hutch, vermiculture was highly promoted as a way to compost rabbit manure beneath the cages of the commercial rabbit operations that were springing up everywhere.
Composting red worms like Eisensia foetida or Lumbricus rebellus naturally converts organic waste into an extremely environmentally beneficial product. The end product is called "worm castings." Rabbit producers sold worm castings as a wonderful soil amendment and fertilizer. This soil conditioner boosted the market's enterprises, including worms sold for fishing (wet a hook) or vermicomposting units.
Vermicomposting is the process of using worms in a bin or container to break down food and household garbage into valuable nutrients. It is like having a super-charged composting unit that works year-round and provides worms for sale to boot! If done right they are odorless and free from disease, and commonly used to aerate, sanitize, and deodorize in situations such as under rabbit cages.
Just think about it. Without the help of worms, every plant and animal that died and fell to the ground would stay right where it landed. Trees, leaves, nuts, feces, fruits, food, and dead animals would just keep piling up around us.
Therefore, it's easy to see why Extension and Horticulturist Specialist Dr. Cathy Sabota are promoting vermiculture. For more information, please visit the following websites listed below.
References
Clemson University. All about worms. Retrieved April 19, 2005.
North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service. Worms can recycle your garbage. Water Quality & Water Management. Retrieved April 19, 2005.