RSSGot Worms?
Gossamer Threads’ commitment to environmental sustainability doesn’t begin and end with our fabulous green roof, no siree Bob. Currently, we’re up to our elbows in worms.
You heard us, worms.
Traditional composting can be tricky in a downtown office short on lawns and green space. Worm composting is compact, odorless (definitely a plus, considering the raccoon population at GT HQ), and low-maintenance.
Turning the office compost box. Easy Peasy.
Worm composting also produces highly sought-after fertilizer! Worm castings (as they’re known in composting circles, and yes, “castings” does just mean “worm poop”) have got what plants crave: nutrients, and plenty of ‘em. We’re harvesting our “black gold” every few months and spreading it on our green roof, but even if you don’t have one at your office, you’ll be surprised how quickly your employees will be fighting tooth & nail over whose turn it is to take this super-charged dirt home for their gardens.
It’s gold Jerry! GOLD!
What do our worms eat? Well, there’s plenty of fruit and vegetable peels and cuttings, but being a coding office, the compost bin here is dominated by the remnants of the fuel that keeps every developer
going: coffee grounds.
You might be shocked to learn (as we were) that there’s a heated debate in the worm composting world about the efficacy of coffee grounds as worm food. Laura Krohn, GT’s resident expert on all things green (and the better half of our CEO, Alex Krohn), explains:
Coffee grounds are great because they provide nitrogen, which is a key component of fertilizer. I have read numerous cases both for and against the acidity debate…most suggest that the acidity is brewed out of the grounds into the actual coffee beverage.
I think the main thing is to look to see if the worms are digesting the coffee grounds. While it may not seem like it, worms have discerning palates. They prefer sweet foods and are less keen on citrus fruits and onions. Go figure!
If you look into the bin and everything else is gone and there is a huge pile of coffee grounds left in the corner, maybe the worms are wired enough and not interested (and maybe the Gossamer crew should take the hint and swap out a coffee for a glass of water!).
There you have it. The straight dirt on (worm-enriched) dirt.
BAM! There you go plants!
If you happen to live in Vancouver and are interested in getting some creepy crawlies to turn your organic waste into super soil, the city offers a total kit (worms included!) and workshop for $25.
Here are some resources for worm composting services elsewhere in Canada and around the globe.
More Photos
Tags: Company Life, compost, green roof, office composting, vancouver, worms