First Worm Ohana Harvest Party a Success!

The prospect of a worm bin harvest can intimidate first-time vermicomposters.  Newbies love feeding and caring for their wormies, but when it comes to dumping out that big heavy bin and separating the contents – well, that’s a bit scary and it’s tempting to postpone harvesting indefinitely. In fact, the most common cause of ailing and crashed colonies is Failure to Harvest.

What’s the remedy?  A festive Harvest Party, what else!  The Oahu Community Worm Ohana hosted the first of what we hope to be many such celebratory events at the Enchanted Lake Worm Hale in the shade of magnificent old monkeypods.  After months of solo fretting and anxiety, it was delightful to connect with fellow wormers again, all with brimming bins…  

Our knowledgeable and experienced staff was there to assist and support the six inaugural participants from start to finish. Many worm-curious, eager volunteers also had signed up and pitched in with great enthusiasm. Nothing makes for a successful harvest than lots of helping hands.

And it was truly a celebration! Vermicomposters harvest not one, but two premier products – worms and vermicast.  The results correlate precisely with the amount and content of food waste provided over the last 6-7 months, and every household is unique. Results differed considerably on our harvest day, but everyone went home with healthy worms, a bucket or two of lovely cast, a huge sense of relief, and the fresh, new knowledge that comes with experience.

The Take-Away from Harvest Day

After your first harvest, you can say:

I’ve gained knowledge of and familiarity with the decomposer ecosystem. I fully understand that the worms work in unity with a vast, diverse community of critters that do the complex work of breaking down organic matter.  There’s nothing to fear in a worm bin!  It’s all good.

I understand that my harvest results reflect my unique food-waste situation.  My goal is to maintain a worm colony that meets my needs. I can comfortably feed them all manner of fruits, veggies, and grains – even rich baked goods – if that’s what I have.  

Some households generate a great deal of food waste and the worms respond by multiplying prodigiously.  Some families generate only a small amount, and the worms readily adjust their body mass and reproduction to match.  (One of our dear veteran vermicomposters, a petite, lovely lady now well into her nineties, has barely a pound or two of food waste a week to feed her worms.  She’s happily maintained a small ball of little wormies for over SIXTEEN YEARS, in perfect harmony with her household!)

I am confident that I can do this!  I can relax now and enjoy a lifetime of learning more about my amazing worms.  I’ll trust the process and lean on experience, observation, Mindy’s videos, and common sense to guide me.