Organic Garden brings to light the value of worms

Katherine Lepri/Contributing Writer

Worms are gross and slimy. They slither in dirt by our feet and squirm on fishing hooks.

Earthworms often generate the same reaction: Gross!

But don’t let their appearance disguise their importance in our planet’s ecosystem.

Despite their reputation, earthworms have been cleaning up debris and recycling it as fertilizer for the last 120 million years. The burrowing annelids are indigenous to Europe and now abundantly populate the soil of North America and western Asia.

Greek philosopher Aristotle characterized earthworms as the “intestines of the earth.”

Ancient Egyptians celebrated them as the unheralded champs of soil restoration.

In 1881, Charles Darwin wrote,“It may be doubted whether there are many other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world, as have these lowly organized creatures.”

On Friday, Sept. 21, the Organic Garden, part of the Agroecology Program on MMC, will host a free event on vermiculture led by Miami permaculture celebrity Marcus Thompson.

Worms, which will be the focus of the event, are vital for any agroecosystem.

Studies show that in just one acre, there can be a million or more worms eating 10 tons of leaves, stems and dead roots, turning over 40 tons of soil. They burrow tunnels in the soil and help aerate the upper layer of the ground and improve drainage for better soil structure.

At the University’s Organic Garden, earthworms are not only found living throughout the grounds, but are also maintained in a vermiculture, or worm composting unit.

“The vermiculture unit is another aspect of sustainable agriculture that students can learn about,” says Miles Medina, the current manager of the University’s garden. “It allows us to turn food scraps into valuable organic fertilizer and pesticide.”

Since the Garden opened in 2008, it has expanded into an invaluable part of the FIU community.

This process of vermicomposting, uses worms to decompose food, yard, and paper waste, into rich by-products such as worm castings and worm tea. Worm castings, or worm poop, are a rich soil amendment and offers benefits that regular “hot composting” does not.

Multiple studies show that gardens with soil that is host to a burgeoning earthworm population is likely to promote faster growth of plants, increase crop yield with less irrigation, reduce soil erosion, and produce crops with a better taste without toxic residues.

The demonstration at the Garden next Friday will demonstrate how to construct and maintain a vermiculture unit and how to effectively use worm castings.

The presentation will take place in the Organic Garden at MMC from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. The garden is located between the FIU Nature Preserve and the baseball stadium on the southwest side of campus, near the campus entrance at Southwest 117th Avenue and 17th Street.
There will be a lecture, Q&A session, and time for hands-on work. University students and the public are invited to the event. However, there will be limited capacity.

For more information about the FIU’s Organic Garden and a list of future events, visit their website atagroecology.fiu.edu/FIUOrganicGarden.htm.

-life@fiusm.com