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KIDSDIG WORM COMPOSTING


Red Wigglers Turn Kitchen Scraps into Gardening Gold by Jessica Iclisoy


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our family loves to shop at area farmers’ markets, investigating greens and other veggies to make meals bursting with vitamins and minerals. Yet, it’s


not always easy raising children who love to eat the fruits, veggies and salad makings you tote home. So consider mixing in a strategic science lesson—all you need are a few thousand wiggly worm friends to gobble up kitchen scraps; waste that would normally go into the trash and municipal landfill. For kids, worm composting gives food preparation a special mission: The worms must be fed! Worm composting, also known as vermiculture, produces nutrient-rich worm castings. In kid parlance, that’s “worm poop.” This organic matter provides the perfect soil conditioner and organic food for plants, indoors and out. It’s also easy to harvest the liquid (worm tea) from the compost and dilute it with water to sprinkle any garden with an extra dose of natural fertilizer. Both will promote strong, healthy plants that are resistant to disease. Our family has maintained a four-level worm bin


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