Tradegy at the Worm Farm

Posted Thu, Oct 13th 2011, 19:29

Sometimes I find it helpful to write to complete the grieving process, hence this blog.  When I had my first mass suicide of worms, I always meant to write about it, but somehow time escaped me.  But now it's time.  Three weeks ago our worm farm was wiped out by an infestation of flatworms -parasitic, invasive, prolific breeders whose favorite meal happens to be earthworms.  On Saturday, when we gone through most of the beds and I realized that we had lost 95% of our worms, for some strange reason I could not get the Wizard of Oz song "We're off to see the Wizard" out of my head.  Trust me, I don't think I've ever had that song in my head.

 

I think it was because subconsciously I had accepted what had happened.  There was no turning back, no salvaging more worms.  The worms were gone.  Partly out of negligence and ignorance (I had NO idea that flatworms were an issue and it wasn't even on my radar) and partly just pure luck.  It turns out that this is a very rare occurrence that hasn't been heard of for 5 years in Florida and even the top vermiculturists in the US know little to nothing about it.

 

I think it's fate.  And lucky for me, I'm an eternal optimist and I believe everything happens for a reason.  So what's the silver lining in the cloud?  We're moving the farm!  To a place that is much better suited to our needs than where we were.  We will also be focusing more on education. And when we have our farm up and running again, it will be tremendously better because we will have spent the time to make sure that we're doing things efficiently and most productively.   And among other things, we'll have less mosquitos in the summer. :)  And don't worry, we have and will continue to have worms, castings, tea and soil amendments if you would like them.

In the end, I guess if you take everything that happens as a learning experience, there's always a benefit, no matter how 'tragic' it might seem at the moment.  I've never met a worm farmer that didn't lose his/her crop at one point or another.  I guess if worm farming were easy, there would be more people doing it.  I think I'm wiser and more knowledgeable from this experience and I'm just happy that it happened at the beginning than a couple years down the road.  Now we know what to look out for.  And I think the saying is true - what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

 

That said, it's time to move on!  This month and the next promise to be power-packed with earth-conscious events, activities and workshops.  I feel like it is fall on steroids.  So be sure to check out "Miscellaneous" under our shop to find out more.

 

To the eternal optimist in all of us, happy fall!

 

- Lanette

 

P.S.  A big thanks to Fertile Earth's greatest supporter - the husband - as well as our worm mentor, Larry.  Thanks for all your help saving the worms.  You have no idea how much we (FEF and the surviving worms) appreciate it. :)

From City Girl to Farm Girl

Posted Wed, Aug 3rd 2011, 14:20

At forty-six...as I transition from City Girl to Farm Girl, I realize how little I actually knew about my surroundings and the things that help maintain me.  After being unemployed and not finding work for a couple of years, I decided it was time to get myself busy and decided to volunteer.  I joined Fertile Earth Foundation in the hopes that I would be able to make a difference somehow in the environmental movement.  It never crossed my mind that the difference I would be making would be more of a personal nature.  
When I met Lanette Sobel, co-founder of Fertile Earth Foundation, her enthusiasm and passion inspired me and I wanted to help, but help with what?  I remember Lanette telling me “you can help us with our booth at Fairchild’s Edible Garden Festival.”  I figured ok that’s easy enough, I can do that…until she told me we will educating people about composting, selling worm castings, worm tea and worms.  Worms, What?  “Yuck!  I don’t do worms”, I told her and her reply was “Ah, but they are one of nature’s wonders.”  I told her that’s great, but I still don’t do worms…gross!  I helped her that weekend, but stayed clear of any worms.  What I did see was the fascination in the faces of children when they held those slimy slithery creatures in their hands…gross.  
In an effort to help me understand why worms, Lanette loaned me the book “Worms Eat My Garbage”.  I had no idea that those tiny, slimy, slithery, gross creatures could produce so much richness for the world around us.  The more I learned about them, the more I respected them.  I still can’t touch them with my bare hands (my insides go wild) but it’s just a matter of time, since we are now producing worms, castings and tea at Fertile Earth Worm Farm and I have dubbed myself a worm farmer – trust me, I still can’t believe it.
Being a farmer and socializing with farmers has opened me up to this new/old world I never considered existed.  I say considered, because I always knew it was there, I just never figured it was a part of my life.  Silly me!  When I needed food to nourish myself, I just went to the super market around the corner and picked up whatever tickled my fancy.  I had no clue (ignorance is bliss) that there are growing seasons for different fruits and vegetables.  I have always purchased what I wanted when I wanted it.  And local…local what, why?   
After living here for most of my life, I have learned that Florida is one of the largest agricultural states in our nation and yet the majority of produce here is from all over the world and not from our own backyard.  Imagine that logic!  Living in Hollywood and driving to Homestead on a regular basis I come across many growers who pitch a tent and table on Krome Avenue (S.W. 177th) to sell their just picked fruits and vegetables.  These fruits and vegetables have real flavor (reminds me of the fruits my great grandma use to give me when I was a child in Colombia), unlike the majority of fruits and vegetables I purchase at the store, which are tasteless.  I did not know that large growers choose varieties based on how well it ships, pick the produce in its unripe stage, ripen them in a warehouse, and sell them at stores…no wonder there’s no taste.  
Now, I look for local, local, local especially Local Farmer’s Markets, they pick a day or two before the market and the taste is incredible.  In addition to having fresh produce, I am helping the local farmer which in turn helps the local economy.  Funny how that works!  No, I don’t find produce that is not in season, but that is one of the basics that I have learned….  Mother Nature give us watermelon in the summer months when we need hydration…the fruits and vegetables grown in Florida are in sync for the people who live in Florida and it’s the same for the rest of the world.  “Nature is a wonderful thing.”
The other day I saw a bumper sticker that said “NO FARM, NO FOOD!”  Just a little food for thought, LOL!
This farm girl still has a lot to learn and a lot of acceptance of the natural systems our world offers.  I have just begun my journey and I have forty-six years of conventional thinking to amend.  Will keep you posted on my findings in hopes that you will begin to embrace and understand nature as I am trying to. 
Judy

Sobe Wine & Food

Posted Thu, Mar 10th 2011, 23:37

We are honored to announce that FEF teamed up with the South Beach Wine & Food Festival this year to divert 1605.5 pounds of pre-consumer food scraps and 276 pounds of used grease oil from the landfill! 

 

The food scraps were used at the Roots in the City garden to build the soil for a future food forest (an organic, edible fruit tree forest and vegetable garden in a vacant lot in Overtown, one of the most economically depressed neighborhoods in Miami).  The used grease oil will be filtered and used for biofuel to power the Community FoodWorks pickup truck that supports our waste diversion efforts and other sustainable initiatives. 

We had a great time, ate some great food, inspired some great people, got great feedback and best of all, we made a difference.  Big thanks to the folks at the Sobe Wine & Food Festival and our wonderful FEF volunteers!  And also to Andrew Zimmern and Anthony Bourdain for tattooing my arm.  We’re looking forward to your sustainable farming lecture at the next Sobe Fest, Mr. Bourdain....

Never Give Up

Posted Thu, Mar 10th 2011, 22:27

Just over a year ago, I wrote my final blog posting for the Fertile Roots Miami project.  I remember the feeling of excitement and anguish rolled into a nice, tight knot in my belly.  I lost interest in writing about the project after that, mostly due to disappointment.  The project we had worked so hard on for 17 months to get off the ground was ending prematurely after only 3 months.  Although there is always more than one reason, the main culprit was lack of funding.  The in-vessel machinery we were using was just too expensive and we could not come up with the resources to cover the costs.  So the project ended.

 

My disappointment did get the best of me for a while, but we were not down and out.  During a business trip to the Turks and Caicos during the summer of 2010, I was asked to install a commercial worm composting system as a demonstration.  At some point, it clicked – we can achieve all the goals we had set for ourselves with worms!  Forget expensive machinery!  Plus the worms do all the work AND produce the most valuable (and probably most expensive) soil amendment known to man!  That, in addition to a natural, organic pest control tea!  With very little funding needed (in comparison), the numbers finally made sense.

 

So almost one year exactly after the death or one project, a new one emerges.  On March 10th, 2011 I am very proud to say that Fertile Earth officially has a worm farm!  In the next couple of months, I look forward to inviting all of our gracious, wonderful supporters to see our new farm and the fruits of our labor.  The best is yet to come.

 

And, as always, there is a lesson to learn from everything.  Mine?  Never give up.  The limiting factor is never resources, its resourcefulness. (Thanks Tony Robbins J).

 

-Lanette

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