Transcript Vermicomposting Presentation

Jack Albrittain, Cater Corley, Becca Garman, Mahlon Henderson, Christiane Repenning
The Duke Endowment
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James B. Duke
Duke, Davidson, Furman, Johnson C. Smith
Sustainability projects totaling $3.85 million
Watering system for row crops, walk-in cooler
to keep produce fresh, passive solar
greenhouse, tools and fencing
Theresa Allen
Over 3400 pounds of produce in 2013
• 8% fruit
• 21% leaf greens
• 28% starch veggies
• 32% tomatoes and cucumbers
• 11% other
Where Does It Go?
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60% Vail Commons
36% Much Ado
4% Davis Café
0% outside of Davidson College
Problems
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Infertile soil
Deer, rabbits
Perennial weeds
Insects
US Foods prices
Solutions?
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Composting
Electric fence
Peanut butter
Pesticides (just kidding!)
Crop rotation
The Basics of Composting
• Process that involves
biological decomposition
of organic matter under
controlled, aerobic
conditions
• Produces stable, humuslike product, which could
be used as a sustainable
fertilizer
• Five different types of
composting
Vermicomposting
• Assortment of worms, usually red wigglers,
are placed in bin with organic material (Egg
shells, paper scraps, leftover food)
• Requires few materials and produces highquality compost called “casting”
• Worm tea, an excellent liquid fertilizer for
houseplants and gardens, is also produced in
the process
Composting as a Social Movement
• Sustainable and empowering
• Reasons to compost:
– Produces sustainable fertilizer as an alternative to
synthetic/chemical fertilizers
– Products breakdown into nutrients for the soil
– Reduces trash costs
Implications in Sustainability
• Taking advantage of a
natural process
• “Worms are the guts of
the earth”
• Reducing waste
• Best for soil health in
the long term
• Increases in farm
productivity
• The three E’s of
sustainability
Modeled in Davidson Farm
• Food waste and farm waste
• Vermicomposting as a
solution
• Turning trash into treasure
• Theresa’s farm is completely
organic
• To produce she needs
healthy soil
• Vermicomposting bridges
the gap between our waste,
the farms bi products and
the food we eat
Food production
Food and Farm
wastes
Healthy Soil
Worm castings
Vermicomposter
biodegradation
Environmental Education
• Increase public awareness and knowledge on
environmental issues
• Encourage critical thinking
• Shouldn’t advocate one particular opinion
• Interdisciplinary approach