I spent part of the day setting up new Worm Bin Starters and harvesting castings for the garden. I found myself enjoying my work very much and finished with several gallons of pure, mature castings that are quite pleasant to touch and handle.

Every now and then people I meet at the farmer’s markets (where I sell the Starter) will mention how much delight they take in their worm gardens, and I share that delight. It’s not just the satisfaction of having clean garbage cans and knowing that you’ve stemmed the flow of organic matter from your kitchen to the landfill.

For me, I think the pleasure comes from witnessing (and assisting) a process of cleansing and renewal that ends in a fertility-enhancing, vital resource that wouldn’t have otherwise existed.

On a much more prosaic level, if you think of the resources that are devoted to the transport and disposal of putrid organic matter, you can’t help but recognize the value of that worm bin out in the garage.