BUFFALO, N.Y. You may have seen bins meant for composting, the process of recycling organic matter into fertilizer for soil and plants. Did you know that worms could play a part in this process?
One man from the area is doing exactly that.
Myles Stubblefield has many worms. He started with just 1,000 worms. He purchased them online and then collected them from his backyard. Now, he has over 100,000 pounds. He uses the worms to tackle waste.
I was at a crossroads where I had a lot waste from another business. I wanted to know how we could reduce that waste, and have a better influence on the soil and environment around us.
He started his business with John Tarrant, his best friend. Buffalo Worm Works. The company starts by collecting food waste from local restaurants who are partners with it. The worms are provided with food scraps, cardboard boxes and other compostable items.
Stubblefield stated that they will be leaving behind rich compost that they were hoping to harvest a couple of times a season.
It’s the worms’ poop that is most sought-after.
“The worms are basically turning organic matter, including food, long waste, and different types of papers and carbon waste, through their tube systems, and breaking it down to these castings,” said Stubblefield. “And we were finding huge huge amounts of microbial life in these castings,” he added.
The worms act as natural pumps for good fertilizers. He says good fertilizer can go a long way. Myles considers worms to be an amazing organism.
He said that once we learn how to use their composting power, we will have better solutions to the problems we face in sustainable energy, waste management resource recuperation, and other such areas. “The worms have the answer, so I’m just listening to what they have.
John Tarrant started this journey after he realized how many cardboard boxes he had at home. He can now help the environment by starting Buffalo Worm Works.
It is a lot more waste than it seems, and there are a lot more people littering. So it gives me a chance for me to help improve the environment.
Casting worms is gaining popularity. Buffalo Worm Works offers the castings in smaller bags to regular gardeners.
We are seeing a lot of agriculture growers and farmers asking for large quantities of castings,” said Stubblefield. “As you can see we filled one of our first orders here for an ton. It will essentially come out to be around 2,200 pounds of our castings.
Myles states that healthy soil is essential if you want to be healthy.
Erie County has a sale every spring on rain barrels and compost bins. The county purchases bulk and offers lower prices.
Mary MacSwan, Erie County’s Chief Environmental Compliance Specialist, said she’s pleased with the rising interest year after year.
MacSwan said, “It’s just pleasure to see people want to use rain barrels or compost bins, and knowing the water quality benefits which are resulting from that it is also personally rewarding to you,”
Composting reduces waste in landfills and saves people money by making their own fertilizer. Water barrels help reduce stormwater runoff to local waterways and also save you money on your water bills.
Orders for this year’s sale must be received by May 25th. To place an order Click here.
