Integrated Farming with Worms

[The Future]

Worms just might be the ultimate in livestock.  I compost in place.  They eat, poop, pee, pass gas, breathe and multiply.  All of this provides benefits to plants.  They also dig which by extenstion aerates, provide water channels and moves nutrients from my aisle based compost into the beds.  Oh, and did I mention efficient?  One pound of compost will result in adding 1 pound of worms.  The larger the animal, the less efficient the conversion (you need 15 pounds of feed to make 1 pound of beef).

[Dame]

That 1 lb of beef could well produce 15 lbs of manure and milk as well as the beef.  And as for grass fed and green oat feed (during the winter), beef converts non food production (marginal land and short season) into food for human consumption.  Feed lot beef is another story and the beef it produces is marginal food for humans.

Original food production here in N. America was a central semi arid grass interior (buffalo, ducks and geese) ringed by a grain and vegetable production area (farming) at the perimeter on three sides with forest outside of that, then mountains and finally coastal regions where fish and sea food were the primary protein sources.  Population densities were highest in the farming and coastal regions.  The farmers waited for the meat to come to them during the annual migrations of the herds. 

[Lady Lilya]

One of the most nutritious foods that exists is butter from pasture-raised cows.  Amazing how many valuable nutrients in that!

[Lady Lilya]

That's not to say that worms aren't really awesome.  They are extremely valuable.

[Dame]

Worms are fabulous where they can survive the winter outdoors, and particularly where food crops can be grown year round.

[opsec]

Can you dig up a bunch of worms and overwinter them in the house by feeding them?

[The Future]

That 1 lb of beef could well produce 15 lbs of manure and milk as well as the beef.  And as for grass fed and green oat feed (during the winter), beef converts non food production (marginal land and short season) into food for human consumption.  Feed lot beef is another story and the beef it produces is marginal food for humans.

Original food production here in N. America was a central semi arid grass interior (buffalo, ducks and geese) ringed by a grain and vegetable production area (farming) at the perimeter on three sides with forest outside of that, then mountains and finally coastal regions where fish and sea food were the primary protein sources.  Population densities were highest in the farming and coastal regions.  The farmers waited for the meat to come to them during the annual migrations of the herds. 

Somebody should also design a contraption to capture the methane from these cow's backsides - apparently there is a massive amount of energy wasted there.  I have my own doubts about so called marginal lands having known of people who have taken - for example - deserts and turned them into an oasis.  I am sure with enough concentration on the task as hand, if there are plants cows can eat we can find plants human can eat too (only 15 times the food coming from them for people).  People (in general) seem to forget that all the nutrition in the beef, milk, butter is coming from the plants the cows eat...

[Lady Lilya]

I read recently that it isn't the plants that the cows are eating.  One of their stomachs has a huge amount of protozoa living in it, and they are what eats the plants.  The cow digests the protozoa.  Cool, huh?

[The Future]

very.  to add to the drama, there are micro-organisms that are eaten by fungi which live symbiotically with the grasses and as such provide their nutrients to them.  So fungi eat micro-organisms which are fed to plants which are eaten by cows only to be digested by protozoa which are digested by cows and then transformed into milke and flesh.  Of course I've probably missed a few steps.

[Dame]

I could probably overwinter some worms if I were to farm them, however, there are limits to the amount of work that can get done on a daily basis and the worms would likely not do well on the pecking order as they cannot pester me.  The overwintered plants do not need attention in the cold room and the other stuff I use often enough that I notice when it is too dry.

[The Future]

Won't worms dig themselves deep enough to avoid to cold a temperature?  How else do they survive in the wild?  Another way to facilitate them is with a compost heap - which if done "right" will generate heat.  (I prefer composting in place)

[Dame]

The frost here goes down 8' or better and even the compost piles freeze up for a time usually after winter solstice.  It is a time of staying home, reading, posting, planning and resting up for spring.  The worms would also need to compete with the chickens for the composting material.

Using comphrey as a compost starter is something I do and mixing it with other discarded bits and pieces to dilute the chicken manure works well.

[Lady Lilya]

...however, there are limits to the amount of work that can get done on a daily basis and the worms would likely not do well on the pecking order as they cannot pester me.  ...

I know what you mean.  When my cat Tia was alive, she meowed at me when the food bowl was empty or she wanted her water refreshed.  Now there is just Faf, and if the food bowl is empty he just goes out and fends for himself.  Sometimes I notice a few pieces of food left in the bowl, but forget to fill it, and 2 days later he still hasn't said anything.