worms get their oxygen from the moisture on their skins, compaction isn't a problem other than possibly making the lower compacted area too wet, but harvesting the lower area is easier if you don't mix the new feedstocks in too far down so the worms keep working toward the top

Bill

I tend to dig in and fluff things up kinda regularly but that may be kinda because I just want to get a look/feel down there so I know what is going on.

If you want to harvest soon, then you probably don't want to add much to the area you wish to harvest from. The more you add into that area, the more non processed material you will have in your castings.

It is not uncommon to have a mostly dry untouched layer over top of the casting rich underlayers. It's kinda like mulch keeping the soil moist under it so in a way it is like recreating the worm's natural habitat of living under the mulch.

Here is a link that might be useful: My Bins

I've been turning my bins pretty much every two weeks and finds it helps alot with the worms getting through the material.

Seacat