FAQ

Our location at the beginning of 2006

Our new location! This is the production barn that is 65 feet wide and 130 feet long. Another barn is 60 feet wide and 65 feet long and used for worm food storage. These buildings are on 26 of the best acres in Iowa!

These are the questions I am asked most often about worms, castings and myself.
-Robert Lees

Q: Is this a full time job or do you have another job?
A: This is a full time job. For a few years as it was growing I did need to work outside of the business. However once the worms reproduced to large populations, I had to work full time to keep them happy.

Q: How did you learn about worm farming?
A: I was going to school to become a bench technician in avionics. As I was studying for the final in systems integration (the last course in 17 months of school), A program came on public TV. This program walked through the steps of successful worm farming and I was hooked. The next day I ordered 1 pound of worms and started my career.

Q: Is there growth for the worm industry in the USA or the world?
A: 1999 was the first growth year for the worm industry. Since then there have been many TV programs and news articles showing the benefits of castings and worms. It is much easier to find a rare worm in your garden than a worm farmer with castings and worms they cannot sell. The market is wide open with millions of acres just waiting for castings, in the USA alone.

Q: Who buys castings and who buys worms?
A: Arpeggio Farms primary customer for both worms and castings are gardeners. They have been hearing for years how well castings work, and not able to find them. Secondary markets include vineyards (wine makers), fishermen, schools and landscapers. Other markets include golf courses, government agencies, organic farms and orchards.

Worms

Garage just after move in 2003

Garage at the beginning of 2004

Q: How fast do worms reproduce?
A: Generally, with the correct temperature, space and food, every 3-4 months they will double their numbers. Once they get pregnant, it takes 21 days to lay an egg. Eggs take about 14 days to hatch and then another 5 weeks for them to mature. This doubling isn't a problem when you have one or two pounds of worms, but when you have 500 pounds or more, this can be difficult to keep up with.

Q: How long does a worm live?
A: a red worm will live for 3 years. They can live as long as seven or as short as a few months. It really depends on how you take care of them.

Q: Have you named all your worms?
A: No

Q: I have read that you cannot feed worms meats, or dairy, or onions. Is this true?
A: NO! If it was once alive, worms will eat it. These are examples of difficult feeds because they can attract pests and can be harmful to you or your worms. Be very careful when feeding these products to you worms, and then be when using your castings. Never feed meat and dairy castings to food plants (garden plants), just flowers, grass, trees and bushes.

Q: Will red worms survive outside or do they have to be in a bin?
A: In the northern states, you must have your worms heated during winter months. Red worms are not able to burrow down below the frost line to escape freezing temperatures like night crawlers. Red worms must have a bunch to eat so you need to take care of a compost pile in order to keep worms outside. There just simply isn't enough food for worms in the soil.

Castings

Q: What are castings?
A: Worm manure, poop. It is the end result of worm eating organic matter.

Q: What do castings contain. What is the nutrient content?
A: Everyone loves to hear the nitrogen, phosphate and potash content, because thats all that is in chemical fertilizers. Castings are roughly 3-1-1, but can be changed greatly by feeding different foods to you worms. They also contain a good of calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron, zinc, sulfur. Other trace elements are abundant but less important to plant growth. The main ingredient of castings, what makes them so good, is living micro-organisms. Soil enriching life that is needed to keep your plants and soil healthy.

Q: What is castings tea?
A: This is not something you drink, it is a liquid inhibitor and fertilizer. The whole idea behind castings tea is that you load you plant and soil with healthy micro-organisms so unhealthy micro-organisms cannot take hold. These unhealthy organisms are inhibited from causing your plants harm. Some nutrients are absorbed through the leaves of your plants but not enough to keep them alive for as long as castings.

Q: How do you get castings tea from worm castings?
A: Many believe it is as simple as over watering your bin and collecting the water as it comes out of the bottom. This is wrong. There is some benefit to this water, but it is compost water, not tea. Tea must be brewed, for 22 hours. 1 pound of castings to 10 gallons of water and 2 tablespoons of corn syrup. Ad a fish aerator (air pump) and let sit. Once done, spray onto leaves of plants or water into soil.