Indoor composting with worms, or vermicomposting, is something that my family started doing for the winter months—when getting to our outdoor compost bin can be more of a challenge. It is also a great option for apartment dwellers or folks who have smaller back yards and don’t have room for an outdoor compost bin.

Vermicomposting speeds along the decomposition process in organic matter, leaving you with extremely nutrient-rich compost made from the worm castings of your kitchen scraps. You can use this fertilizer in your garden, for house plants, or in flower beds. It is clean and odor free if done correctly; you don’t need to worry about it being messy or smelly.

In our family, it ended up being a great project for the kids. I have to admit that when I brought up the idea of starting a worm farm in our house, I got some very strange looks but it didn’t take long until my boys thought it would be really neat to have “pet worms.” Miles, my 2 year old, loves to dump our kitchen scraps into the worm bin and look for our little red wigglers; we love that he is still learning about recycling at an early age. It’s also a great chance for Lucas, 8, to learn about decomposition, reducing waste, and recycling.

Before you get started, you will need to decide which type of worm bin to use. There are all sorts of ways to make your own worm bin, or you can simply buy a ready-to-use worm factory. We opted to make our own bin because it is very inexpensive and easy to do. You’ll also need bedding, redworms (we ordered our red wigglers from Uncle Jim’s Worm Farm), and kitchen scraps. Your kids can help with all of these steps and will have lots of fun in the process. Store your worm bin in an area that is between 55 to 77 degrees. We keep ours in the basement, but I know other people who store their worm bins right under their kitchen sink. Before you know it, you will have your very own worm farm. Happy farming!

photo credit: net_efekt via photopin cc