Happy birthday, dear worms

It's been one year since I brought home my babies, hundreds of them, worm babies, that is. And now they're all grown up and having babies and grandbabies and probably great grandbabies by now. And like all babies, they're pooping up a storm. I swear, all they do is eat and poop. But that's okay by me, because that's exactly what I want them to do! Vermicomposting is everything I hoped it would be -- and more!

In case you're wondering what is in the photo -- the right side of the bin is almost 100% vermicompost, a.k.a. worm poop, which I scoop up and put into a gallon jug with water to make vermicompost tea. No, you do not drink it! I have to say this because one day when I was showing off my worms, someone actually thought that you did. Vermicompost tea is used to water plants, and it is extremely rich in nutrients. It's an all-natural fertilizer.

The left side of the bin is shredded junk mail, coffee grounds, egg shells, vegetable and fruit peels, and other worm delicacies. I only feed on one side to encourage the worms to migrate over there, which will make harvesting easier. I do not want to accidentally scoop up any worms and drown them in the tea. This definitely ranks right up there in the "Things I Never Thought I Would Do" list:

1. Wash pig poo off a baby goat.
2. Cut the liver out of a dead goat to send to a state lab.
   
3. Persuade worms to move to the other side of the neighborhood.

Actually, I never expected to find myself in a position to persuade worms to do anything. But since I once persuaded Congress to pass a law, persuading worms shouldn't be that hard, right?