The Free Press, Mankato, MN

Local News

Related Photos

  • Pat Christman

    Worms

  • Pat Christman

    Worms2

April 26, 2009

Trash to fertilizer

By Dan Linehan

MANKATO — Janet Husak was hesitant at first about sharing her Mankato home with a box full of red wigglers.

“A few years ago, I couldn’t envision having worms in a sealed container anywhere in my house,” she said.

There’s the “ick” factor and the worries that the combination of worms and decomposing garbage in a box would create a less-than-pleasing aroma.

But over the months she came to value the worms for the compost, and how they replaced fertilizers potentially dangerous to her children and pets.

It didn’t happen all at once.

Over time, she came to believe composting was a way to work within the circle of life, not against it.

The feared-for stink never materialized. Turns out the only smell comes from mold, which only forms if the worms are overfed and don’t have time to make short work of their food.

“Worm composting” is a term for the process of using the squirmy invertebrates as food processors. Your common earthworm won’t work; a species called “red wigglers” is bred and sold specifically for this purpose. They don’t look as exotic as they sound — they’re basically just smaller versions of earthworms.

A general rule of thumb for the worms is that they can eat half their weight in food in about a week. So if your house generates one pound of food waste a week, two pounds of worms should cover it. They aren’t picky either; they’ll even eat paper.

Lisa Coons, coordinator of the Center for Earth Spirituality & Rural Ministry, has kept a box of red wigglers in her Good Counsel Drive office for about a year.

They subsist on the occasional apple core, and she hasn’t had to acquire more worms.

A free class on worm composting, taught by Blue Earth County recycling coordinator Jean Lundquist, is slated for 10 a.m. on Saturday at the red barn on the School Sisters of Notre Dame campus.

Lundquist will have some worms to give away from her office worm bin, but not an unlimited supply.

“Most of what they get is coffee grounds, so those are some pretty caffeinated worms.”



If You Go
What: A free class on how to start your own worm composting bin

When: 10 a.m. Saturday

Where: Red barn atop the hill on Good Counsel Drive

Text Only | Photo Reprints
Local News
  • Pay dispute exposes county-prosecutor rift

    Arneson memos often critical of administrator, board pay

    May 18, 2013

  • mfp storm chasers Storm chasers go looking for trouble Call them crazy. They won't mind. They understand that running into a storm might not be everyone's idea of a good time. And when tornado sirens sound -- and authorities are advising people to take cover -- they accept that it wouldn't be inappropria

    May 19, 2013 1 Photo

  • mfp Street rods2 Minnesota Street Rod Assocation takes Land of Memories Park back to the 50s The Minnesota Street Rod Association brought Mankato's Land of Memories Park back to the '50s with a spring campout.

    May 18, 2013 4 Photos

  • Father, son injured in crash MANKATO -- A Mankato father and his 8-year-old son were hospitalized after their Toyota Camry collided with a Freightliner semi on Highway 22 north of Mankato Saturday morning. Lord W. Baji, 47, was in fair condition and Uwumborge Baji, 8, was in goo

    May 18, 2013

  • What's Read on the Web 1. Gay marriage hits home for minister This summer, Lisa Coons hopes to be on both sides of a same-sex marriage -- officiating and participating. The Mankatoan plans to wed her partner of 25 years and, as an ordained non-denominational minister, is e

    May 19, 2013

  • mfp-cadets pic 51913 Two Mankato area Civil Air Patrol cadets receive Mitchell award MANKATO -- Lt. Col. Mathew Wiskow, Minnesota Wing's Group 4 commander, presented certificates and ribbons to two cadets during a ceremony May 9 at the Mankato Regional Airport. Cadets Hunter Brindley and Tanner Johnson of the Minnesota Wing's Mankato

    May 19, 2013 1 Photo

  • AgStar awards county fair grants MANKATO -- The AgStar Fund for Rural America, the corporate giving program of AgStar Financial Services, recently awarded $69,000 in grants through its county fair facility upgrade grant program, $24,000 more than last year. Area organizations recei

    May 19, 2013

  • Frac sand movie to be shown Monday MANKATO -- A screening of a documentary about the frac sand mining boom in Minnesota and Wisconsin will be held Monday afternoon in the Blue Earth County Library auditorium. The Mankato Area Environmentalists and the Center for Earth Spirituality are

    May 19, 2013

  • St. Peter Police Calls Theft of flag, sign St. Peter responded to a call about 6:40 a.m. May 13 reporting a flag pole and sign had been stolen from a residence's yard at 203 Front St. The flag was later returned, but the "We Support Our Troops" sign was not. Theft of gasol

    May 19, 2013

  • Racing calendar RUNNING May May 27 MANKATO — 10Kato. 10K run, 2-mile run/walk. www.vinevolunteers.com/events/10k-kato-run June June 1 ST. PETER — Livestock Colordash. 5K. livestockmn.com/5k/ June 8 WATERVILLE — Sakatah Challenge. 10K, 5K, 5K walk, 11-mile bike,

    May 19, 2013