Worm Mix, as I define it, is a vermicomposting starter culture that contains loads of worms (of all ages & sizes), usually lots of cocoons, and an entire ecosystem of other beneficial organism - all contained in a generous amount of rich, living habitat material. It offers a fantastic way to start up a brand new vermicomposting system.

The costs involved in getting started with the Worm Mix (Batch) approach will vary based on what type of bins you decide to use, how many you start with, and whether or not you already have your own worm population to draw from. If you do have worms and will just start with a handful of bins you should be able to get started for $50 or less. If you want to get more serious and/or you are starting completely from scratch, your costs will go up from there. What’s great is that once the bins are paid for, the ongoing costs should be quite low (and Worm Mix sales will obviously offset those).

If you went with a very modest 7 bins/week set up schedule, and sold batches of Worm Mix for $30 each (how much you charge will depend on multiple factors but this is a reasonable estimate) you could potentially earn as much as $840/mo. 14 bins/week – $1680/mo. NOTE: using the bins I recommend, the total number of bins required at the 14 bin/week level should only take up about 27 sq ft of floor space. These might not seem earth-shattering income numbers – but keep in mind there is plenty of potential for ramping things up further, and of course diversifying your product line-up over time!

Worm Mix production times can depend of the type of Worm Mix you are producing, the materials you are using (and how you set things up), and of course ambient conditions. There are hybrid approaches that can be as little as 3 to 4 weeks – but my typical recommendation for Worm Mix Batch bins (in climate controlled environment) is 2 to 3 months. With the minimal management required, you will likely be amazed by how quickly that time can pass – and the key idea is to make sure you are regularly setting up new systems so you have a steady, ongoing supply.

Once again, this depends on conditions and various other key factors. Of course, it also depends on the number of worms you start your cultures with. Just to provide some perspective, in terms of what's possible, I concluded a population growth trial in January 2023. I started with 25 adult Red Worms in a system quite similar to my typical Worm Mix Batch bins, and after 11 weeks ended up with at least* 193 adults, 1656 juveniles, and 476 cocoons! With Worm Mix production I recommend starting with more than 25 worms - and even if you only ended up with a fraction of that sort of productivity, you can see how easy it is to end up with a very rich culture of worms! *I say "at least" because that's as far as I got with the counting - I know for sure there were many more juveniles and cocoons hidden in the habitat material.

Outdoor Worm Mix Production is absolutely possible (that’s how I did it for years), but the Worm Mix Batch approach is intended as an indoor strategy. Your results will be far more consistent and predictable in a climate-controlled environment. Which leads us to the next question…

Using the bins I recommend, and a 14 bin/week set-up schedule (mentioned earlier), the total amount of floor space needed should be less than 30 sq ft. In other words, you likely wouldn’t even need to dedicate an entire room to your little operation. Other types of bins will likely use up more space, but you should still be able to keep things manageable. A basement can be a good option, as long as it doesn’t get too cool in the winter.

The Worm Mix Batch approach is strictly intended as a starter culture production method. Any castings produced get passed along to your customer as part of the rich, habitat material. This is actually an amazing, somewhat-under-the-radar benefit of a Worm Mix. Your customers will likely be able to perform their first castings harvest a lot sooner than if they had just started their system with typical bulk worms!

The idea that you need at least a pound of worms to start a worm bin is a widely-shared MYTH! (The conspiracy-theorist in me thinks it was started by worm farmers wanting to sell more worms - lol) In fact, I would argue - and have seen plenty of proof - that the absolute best way to stock a new system is actually with worm-rich material from another system, not bulk worms in sterile bedding! The worms will settle into their new system much more easily and will be ideally positioned for a rapid population explosion, not the usual early die-back you often see with stressed out bulk worms.

Immediately after joining you should be taken to a thank-you page, and you should receive several important e-mails: 1) An order receipt, 2) An e-mail re: how to access the CG Portal member area (where you can access Easy Worm Farming), and 3) A welcome e-mail from the EWF e-mail list. If you encounter any problems, or have any questions, please let me know and I will be happy to help!