The pictures say it all! There are actually two worms entertwined - click to expand.
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Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
A Fresh Squeeze interviews Urban Worm Girl!
Worm Composting Catches on in Urban Setting
Urban worm girl at your service
Urban Worm Girl Stephanie Davies
By Iya Bakare
While recycling is a good way to reduce garbage that ends up in a landfill, composting in your own home with Mother Nature’s creepy crawlers can dramatically cut your trash even further and give you some hearty fertilizer to toss in your backyard or community garden.
Vermiculture, also known as worm composting, is a modern form of composting that uses worms to transform the leftovers of organic matter into useful fertilizer.
Stephanie Davies, founder of Urban Worm Girl, says the benefit of this type of composting technique does not require an outside garden, which is ideal for city residents who live in apartments or condos. “My goal was to bring this to an urban community so we can reap the benefits from composting and be the recipients of great fertilizer from it, which allows us to be more active participants in the circle of life,” adds Davies. “I wanted to bring worms into the city, which brings city dwellers back to the country.”
Davies says she holds “Worm Parties” for both Chicago and suburban residents where she provides education about the worm composting process. At these parties, residents can purchase worm compost bins or simply observe and listen about worm composting.
Another benefit of vermiculture is worms eat faster than the traditional composting cycle. Davies says the worm composting period lasts about 50 days because worms are constantly eating, compared to 240 days for a regular compost bin. In addition, the worms used in the process can be utilized for several years. Davies says worms can live three to five years and their offspring can survive even longer. Out of the over 2,000 types of worms in the world, red wigglers are the best ones to use for worm composting, says Davies. “They like to sit and eat, as opposed to regular earthworms that are traveling worms.”
More than half of the waste residents send to landfills is prospective food for worms in a compost bin, she adds. Worms shouldn’t be given meat or dairy products, but they can thrive on other sorts of food, as well as green shrubbery, says Davies. They can even eat the bedding that’s in their bins: wet shredded newspaper, egg cartons, toilet tissue or paper towel rolls, or any type of clean cardboard or napkins. Since worms do not have teeth, Davies suggests adding crushed egg shells to the bedding, which will serve as their teeth to tear apart the matter as they digest the foods into their gizzards. All these items serve as cellulose for their digestive system, explains Davies.
The type of housing for the creatures is crucial, and Davies says plastic bins are best to absorb moisture. These bins should have a spout at the end to drain the byproduct of the composting process, which rids the fertilizer of bacteria. An ideal environment for a worm compost bin would be in a room that is fairly dark and quiet, such as a basement area.
Some city residents hooked on worm composting are sharing their enthusiasm with others. Amanda Scampini, an elementary science teacher at Peck Elementary School in Chicago, uses worm composting in her home and introduced it to her students. “At school, the kids love them because they [the worms] become pets to them, which they feed and take care of. They even try to name them,” she says.
Scampini says the compost bins started as student science projects they gave to teachers to put into their classrooms. She recalls one bin at the school that started with 1,000 worms and increased to almost 4,000 worms. “It’s almost like magic and it’s just great for the kids to see the project from the beginning to the end,” she adds.
http://www.afreshsqueeze.com/articleDtl.php?id=4a9699735e097
Urban worm girl at your service
Urban Worm Girl Stephanie Davies
By Iya Bakare
While recycling is a good way to reduce garbage that ends up in a landfill, composting in your own home with Mother Nature’s creepy crawlers can dramatically cut your trash even further and give you some hearty fertilizer to toss in your backyard or community garden.
Vermiculture, also known as worm composting, is a modern form of composting that uses worms to transform the leftovers of organic matter into useful fertilizer.
Stephanie Davies, founder of Urban Worm Girl, says the benefit of this type of composting technique does not require an outside garden, which is ideal for city residents who live in apartments or condos. “My goal was to bring this to an urban community so we can reap the benefits from composting and be the recipients of great fertilizer from it, which allows us to be more active participants in the circle of life,” adds Davies. “I wanted to bring worms into the city, which brings city dwellers back to the country.”
Davies says she holds “Worm Parties” for both Chicago and suburban residents where she provides education about the worm composting process. At these parties, residents can purchase worm compost bins or simply observe and listen about worm composting.
Another benefit of vermiculture is worms eat faster than the traditional composting cycle. Davies says the worm composting period lasts about 50 days because worms are constantly eating, compared to 240 days for a regular compost bin. In addition, the worms used in the process can be utilized for several years. Davies says worms can live three to five years and their offspring can survive even longer. Out of the over 2,000 types of worms in the world, red wigglers are the best ones to use for worm composting, says Davies. “They like to sit and eat, as opposed to regular earthworms that are traveling worms.”
More than half of the waste residents send to landfills is prospective food for worms in a compost bin, she adds. Worms shouldn’t be given meat or dairy products, but they can thrive on other sorts of food, as well as green shrubbery, says Davies. They can even eat the bedding that’s in their bins: wet shredded newspaper, egg cartons, toilet tissue or paper towel rolls, or any type of clean cardboard or napkins. Since worms do not have teeth, Davies suggests adding crushed egg shells to the bedding, which will serve as their teeth to tear apart the matter as they digest the foods into their gizzards. All these items serve as cellulose for their digestive system, explains Davies.
The type of housing for the creatures is crucial, and Davies says plastic bins are best to absorb moisture. These bins should have a spout at the end to drain the byproduct of the composting process, which rids the fertilizer of bacteria. An ideal environment for a worm compost bin would be in a room that is fairly dark and quiet, such as a basement area.
Some city residents hooked on worm composting are sharing their enthusiasm with others. Amanda Scampini, an elementary science teacher at Peck Elementary School in Chicago, uses worm composting in her home and introduced it to her students. “At school, the kids love them because they [the worms] become pets to them, which they feed and take care of. They even try to name them,” she says.
Scampini says the compost bins started as student science projects they gave to teachers to put into their classrooms. She recalls one bin at the school that started with 1,000 worms and increased to almost 4,000 worms. “It’s almost like magic and it’s just great for the kids to see the project from the beginning to the end,” she adds.
http://www.afreshsqueeze.com/articleDtl.php?id=4a9699735e097
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
Local Worms
Our friends at the Pacific Garden Mission were recently featured on National Public Radio (NPR) on the morning show 848. We often buy our worms from the Mission in order to have "local" worms.
Click here to listen. Check out the photos too!
Click here to listen. Check out the photos too!
Monday, August 10, 2009
Workshop on Saturday!
Don't forget that Urban Worm Girl is hosting a workshop on Saturday Aug 15th. RSVP to info at urbanwormgirl (dot) com
$150 gets you a worm bin, 1 pound of worms and Urban Worm Girl's personal assistance in setting up your bin. You'll go home ready to start composting your kitchen scraps that afternoon!
$150 gets you a worm bin, 1 pound of worms and Urban Worm Girl's personal assistance in setting up your bin. You'll go home ready to start composting your kitchen scraps that afternoon!
Friday, August 7, 2009
Urban Worm Girl is going Off-Grid
Check out Urban Worm Girl on Sun, 8/9 at the Illinois Renewable Energy Fair in Oregon, IL.
If you haven't been to one of these fairs (the Illinois or Wisconsin version) - it might be time to check it out. Great information for decreasing our reliance on the energy grid, cool workshops, solar cooking, and rebate information.
Urban Worm Girl will lead a composting with worms discussion on Sunday at 10:45.
And don't forget our next workshop in Chicago is on Sat, 8/15.
If you haven't been to one of these fairs (the Illinois or Wisconsin version) - it might be time to check it out. Great information for decreasing our reliance on the energy grid, cool workshops, solar cooking, and rebate information.
Urban Worm Girl will lead a composting with worms discussion on Sunday at 10:45.
And don't forget our next workshop in Chicago is on Sat, 8/15.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Worm Food is Beautiful
When we think of worm food we often think of the remains of our groceries when we clean out our refrigerator. In this instance, a cabbage that was destined for wormfood was pushed aside in the fridge and forgotten about. Look at what happened! It sprouted a flower.
Proof that worm food isn't always the bag of soggy lettuce greens that you forgot about. It can be beautiful too.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
FRESH the movie - screening Thurs. 7/30 at 7:30 pm
Urban Worm Girl is going to the movies again! Pasted below if the info from McCall (who hosts the screnings). Feel free to join us!
Because of the great turnout (and because we stick to our word) we're hosting another screening. So if you know of anyone that missed the last one or because you know this is a film worth seeing, please spread the word. The details:
Thursday, July 30
Doors open at 7 pm, Film rolls at 7:30 pm
Complimentary beer will be provided
EP Theater
1820 S. Halsted StChicago, IL 60608
(located in Pilsen)
ENTER IN BACK
$10 covers a seat in the theater and unlimited beer. RSVP to FreshMovieChicago@gmail.com
Also, below are some great resources for learning more about sustainable and local food systems - all of which are run by attendees of the last screening.
www.thelocalbeet.com
Events, resources, guides, and blogs dedicated to a practical approach to local eating - specifically in the Chicago area. A great resource for finding local farmers markets.
www.organicnation.tv
An exploration of America's sustainable food landscape - they literally travel the country to document how sustainable food systems are being created. (Lots of video!)
www.dishesanddirt.blogspot.com
A permanent website is in the works but the blog contains beautiful photographs and posts about the local food scene. Dishes and Dirt will be a web space that connects businesses and consumers that are interested in supporting a local food economy.
www.urbanwormgirl.com
Learn to compost with worms, minimize your waste, and feed your garden, houseplants, and the earth. They have everything you need!
If you would like to attend to promote your business, organization or blog, please let me know.
Thanks again!
McCall
Because of the great turnout (and because we stick to our word) we're hosting another screening. So if you know of anyone that missed the last one or because you know this is a film worth seeing, please spread the word. The details:
Thursday, July 30
Doors open at 7 pm, Film rolls at 7:30 pm
Complimentary beer will be provided
EP Theater
1820 S. Halsted StChicago, IL 60608
(located in Pilsen)
ENTER IN BACK
$10 covers a seat in the theater and unlimited beer. RSVP to FreshMovieChicago@gmail.com
Also, below are some great resources for learning more about sustainable and local food systems - all of which are run by attendees of the last screening.
www.thelocalbeet.com
Events, resources, guides, and blogs dedicated to a practical approach to local eating - specifically in the Chicago area. A great resource for finding local farmers markets.
www.organicnation.tv
An exploration of America's sustainable food landscape - they literally travel the country to document how sustainable food systems are being created. (Lots of video!)
www.dishesanddirt.blogspot.com
A permanent website is in the works but the blog contains beautiful photographs and posts about the local food scene. Dishes and Dirt will be a web space that connects businesses and consumers that are interested in supporting a local food economy.
www.urbanwormgirl.com
Learn to compost with worms, minimize your waste, and feed your garden, houseplants, and the earth. They have everything you need!
If you would like to attend to promote your business, organization or blog, please let me know.
Thanks again!
McCall
Saturday, July 25, 2009
on Tapping your Bin!
Worm Tea is a wonderful additional product from your worm bin.
The Worm Tea can be used as a natural fertilizer, but it is also an organic natural pest repellent for aphids, spider mites, white flies and scale. It doesn't kill the pests but in fact repels them due to an odor undetectable to humans.
Urban Worm Girl recommends you check the tapper on your bin at least once per week. The Worm Tea can be used straight without dilution as it won't burn your plants, however, we suggest that in order to spread the benefits amongst your houseplants or outdoor plants you dilute it at least 1:1 as it will go further.
All worm bins need newspaper and cardboard as bedding and a fiber source, but if you minimize the amount of bedding you can force your bin to produce more Worm Tea. Remember however that bedding and fiber is important to the health of your worms.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Uncommon Ground's Organic Rooftop Farm
Our friends at Uncommon Ground had a visit from Da'Mayor recently. He stopped by to congratulate them on being the country's first organic rooftop farm. (Did you catch that? The Country - not county, not city - the Country!)
Congratulations to everyone over at Uncommon Ground!
Read more about it here.
Urban Worm Girl is looking forward to joining the Farmer Fridays Farmers Market at Uncommon Ground on Fri, 7/24.
Congratulations to everyone over at Uncommon Ground!
Read more about it here.
Urban Worm Girl is looking forward to joining the Farmer Fridays Farmers Market at Uncommon Ground on Fri, 7/24.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Another Worm Workshop!
The Urban Worm Girls are hosting another Worm Workshop!
Saturday, August 15th, 2009 12:30 - 1:30 p.m.
at SD Rehab, 1962 N. Bissell Ave, Chicago, IL
RSVP required: info@urbanwormgirl.com
Saturday, August 15th, 2009 12:30 - 1:30 p.m.
at SD Rehab, 1962 N. Bissell Ave, Chicago, IL
RSVP required: info@urbanwormgirl.com
$150 includes worm bin purchase, 1 pound of red wigglers, bedding, Urban Worm Girl's tips for success, and hands on instruction onsite.
$25 - no bin purchase necessary; just join the fun!
Learn the essentials of how to set up and maintain a bin in your home. Sign up today and reserve your equipment for set up during the workshop. You and others will benefit from the expertise of the Urban Worm Girls as we go through the step by step process and learn what to expect in future care and maintenance of your worms. Your bin will be full of hungry worms ready to eat your garbage by the end of the workshop!
Call 312.339.4725 or email info@urbanwormgirl.com to reserve your spot today.
Come join the worm fun!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Rain barrels available in Roscoe Village from Chicago Conservation Corps
Roll out the Barrel in Roscoe Village
- Sunday, July 12, noon-4pm
- Audubon Elementary School, 3500 N Hoyne Ave
C3 Leader Adrienne Nothnagel and her project team will lead a rain barrel distribution day in conjunction with the Roscoe Village Garden Walk on July 12th. Prior to the Garden Walk, Adrienne’s project team will perform an educational campaign to make community members aware of the benefits of rain barrels. On the day of the Garden Walk, the team will sell rain barrels to attendees, and facilitate a workshop on how to use and implement the barrels. To volunteer your time or reserve a rain barrel in advance, e-mail roscoerainbarrels@gmail.com. The barrels at this event will be $45 each, and are available exclusively to Chicago residents.
The following is a list of events coordinated by the C3 Leaders and Trainees, as well as volunteer opportunities facilitated by the C3 Partners. For a full listing of events, visit www.chicagoconservationcorps.org/blog/c3-project-calendar.
- Sunday, July 12, noon-4pm
- Audubon Elementary School, 3500 N Hoyne Ave
C3 Leader Adrienne Nothnagel and her project team will lead a rain barrel distribution day in conjunction with the Roscoe Village Garden Walk on July 12th. Prior to the Garden Walk, Adrienne’s project team will perform an educational campaign to make community members aware of the benefits of rain barrels. On the day of the Garden Walk, the team will sell rain barrels to attendees, and facilitate a workshop on how to use and implement the barrels. To volunteer your time or reserve a rain barrel in advance, e-mail roscoerainbarrels@gmail.com. The barrels at this event will be $45 each, and are available exclusively to Chicago residents.
The following is a list of events coordinated by the C3 Leaders and Trainees, as well as volunteer opportunities facilitated by the C3 Partners. For a full listing of events, visit www.chicagoconservationcorps.org/blog/c3-project-calendar.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Urban Worm Girls go to Market!
We had some fun at the Andersonville Farmer's Market.
We hope to be back at the Andersonville Market soon.
We'll be visiting the Logan Square Farmer's market on Sunday, July 12th with our friends from the Dill Pickle Food Coop. Stop by and say hello.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Worms eat Local
What are worms eating now? (Besides whatever you feed them - of course).
Urban Worm Girl's worms are eating local! They are enjoying strawberry tops, cut offs from greens from our spring green salads, radish tops, and rhubarb ends.
Visit your local farmer's market. Lighten your footprint, support your local farmers, eat healthier and your worms will too!
Look for Urban Worm Girl at the Andersonville Farmer's Market on Wed, 6/24 located at Clark and Berwyn Streets in Chicago.
Urban Worm Girl's worms are eating local! They are enjoying strawberry tops, cut offs from greens from our spring green salads, radish tops, and rhubarb ends.
Visit your local farmer's market. Lighten your footprint, support your local farmers, eat healthier and your worms will too!
Look for Urban Worm Girl at the Andersonville Farmer's Market on Wed, 6/24 located at Clark and Berwyn Streets in Chicago.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Worm Heat Warning
Chicago area forecast:
Mon, 6/22: 86 degrees
Tues, 6/23: 90 degrees
Wed: 6/24: 92 degrees
Make sure your worms are in a cool spot. The maximum temp is low 80s. Having them in the dark helps - ensuring that no sunlight hits the black worm-pagoda helps keep the temperature from escalating inside.
Mon, 6/22: 86 degrees
Tues, 6/23: 90 degrees
Wed: 6/24: 92 degrees
Make sure your worms are in a cool spot. The maximum temp is low 80s. Having them in the dark helps - ensuring that no sunlight hits the black worm-pagoda helps keep the temperature from escalating inside.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
SB99 passes!
Illinois finally redefines food scrapes from garbage to compostable material -- and allows that they can legally composted in the state.
http://www.examiner.com/x-7260-Chicago-Environmental-News-Examiner~y2009m5d20-Soil-emerges-victorious-in-Illinois
http://www.examiner.com/x-7260-Chicago-Environmental-News-Examiner~y2009m5d20-Soil-emerges-victorious-in-Illinois
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Worm Workshop!
Saturday, June 6th, 2009
12:30 - 1:30 p.m.
at SD Rehab, 1962 N. Bissell Ave, Chicago, IL
RSVP required: stephanie@urbanwormgirl.com
$150 includes worm bin purchase, 1 pound of red wigglers, bedding, Urban Worm Girl's tips for success, and hands on instruction onsite.
$25 - no bin purchase necessary; just join the fun!
Learn the essentials of how to set up and maintain a bin in your home. Sign up today and reserve your equipment for set up during the workshop. You and others will benefit from the expertise of Urban Worm Girl as we go through the step by step process and learn what to expect in future care and maintenance of your worms. Your bin will be full of hungry worms ready to eat your garbage by the end of the workshop!
Call 312.339.4725 or email stephanie@urbanwormgirl.com to reserve your spot today.
Come join the worm fun!
12:30 - 1:30 p.m.
at SD Rehab, 1962 N. Bissell Ave, Chicago, IL
RSVP required: stephanie@urbanwormgirl.com
$150 includes worm bin purchase, 1 pound of red wigglers, bedding, Urban Worm Girl's tips for success, and hands on instruction onsite.
$25 - no bin purchase necessary; just join the fun!
Learn the essentials of how to set up and maintain a bin in your home. Sign up today and reserve your equipment for set up during the workshop. You and others will benefit from the expertise of Urban Worm Girl as we go through the step by step process and learn what to expect in future care and maintenance of your worms. Your bin will be full of hungry worms ready to eat your garbage by the end of the workshop!
Call 312.339.4725 or email stephanie@urbanwormgirl.com to reserve your spot today.
Come join the worm fun!
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