Never used one, but Kudos to you!

It looks like something that would be best served by starting the bottom layer, getting it going really thoroughly, then adding the second layer after a month or so. Since E.Foetida are top feeders, Id worry that if you build and fill the whole thing at once, theyll migrate up regardless. Or you can try one each way since youve got 2!

im actually looking into food waste composting myself. Worm castings are a great value-added product and can be a great fundraiser for nonprofits!

good luck and be well!

ogsteacher....Do you have the availability to do an outdoor, in-ground bin? The tote type bins, I found, were great for classroom studies and were very portable. The COW's were great for demonstrating how it works. For actually composting cafeteria food waste, I finally moved outside where I could have a more stable, forgiving environment, capable of processing much more food. Everyone was happier, including the worms..:)

Have you checked out "The Worm Cafe: Mid-scale Vermicomposting of Lunchroom Wastes" by Binet Payne? It is an outstanding resource, detailing everything from selling the idea to school administrators, setting up and managing your bins, and lesson plans for students.

I got my copy from the library, but here is a link for ordering. You can also google the title and find many excellent reviews.

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress!!

Here is a link that might be useful: The Worm Cafe: Mid-scale Vermicomposting of Lunchroom Wastes

Thanks for the ideas.. I will check for the book from my library first and then order a copy if that doesn't work. Getting everyone to buy into the idea is so important for a school wide project.

Starting out in one layer at a time sounds very good too. Thanks for that idea!

I have thought of outdoor bins in the past but have been told that it is way too cold in the winters for much success. The reason I am going to use the worm condo/Can-of-Worms is that they are being donated to me. For teachers, free is great. :) (Personally, I use rubbermaid totes at home but must keep them indoors from June-Sept. due to heat and Dec.-Mar. for the cold.)

I would like to hear what some of you suggest for bedding in the Can-of-Worms condos.

Thanks!

I have that book and "Worms Eat OUR Garbage", both were geared for middles school activities but could always be tweaked to fit elementary.
Have you done a waste audit at your school? Are you going to compost all food waste or, (as we did), pre-consumer kitchen waste? The COW and tote type bins do not handle huge quantities. My outdoor in-ground bins worked well all winter here in NC, as long as the fresh food was added, it generated plenty of heat to keep the worms on the surface eating.

Ogsteacher- Bins indoors? in IL? Ours in Nashville were not thriving, but Ive rescued the worms and started over, and a big tote in the shade is FINE. I use the lid for the bottom tray so i catch anyone escaping, I try to check every few days if its too warm/etc.

It was about 100 today, but the bin is OK in the total shade. they DO need some supplemental warmpth in winter- I hope to put them next to my cold frames, wrapped in haybales in the sun. We'll see how that works :-)

I SO want to start this too!

So, SQH1- do either of these books suggest bin sizes per pound waste? Any health code issues with plate scrapings?

garnetmoth...When I wrote the grant proposal to compost cafeteria food waste and office/classroom scrap paper using redworms in bins for Conn Elementary in Raleigh, NC, I had done a waste audit that was included in that propsal. A waste audit is a must! Before you start collecting waste it must have a destination and be done in a very timely fashion. It builds up quickly and you can have a big stinking mess in no time at all. (There goes all your enthusiasm and support). I had the cafeteria staff collect all their pre-consumer kitchen scraps for 1 week. I had the 3rd grade level collect all their paper scraps for 1 average week. We weighed that at the end of the week and gave the numbers to 3rd grade level to come up with what the average weight would be for the school year. It was an eye opener! I did not have the kids scrape their plates. I know out at the NIEHS they do that, but they are adults and need less supervision. The closest we came to post-consumer food scraps was collecting apple cores, banana peels and watermelon rinds. The Wake County Health Department did come out a few times to see where food was going to be collected. It was kind of funny to watch them scratch their heads about worms. When I demonstrated how a COW worked they were amazed at no smell and were even more amazed when I showed them the vermicompost in the bottom tray. There was talk of getting permitted by the state. They told me if we were putting in 3 cubic yards a week (I think) we would have to get a permit. I had already begun to realize that the COWs would not be able to handle all that waste and I could just monitor how much went in, thus not having to deal with getting permitted. This project took many turns and was a huge educational/science lesson. I do not think COW's or tote type bins can handle the volume of food/paper coming from a school. I DO think they can be very valuable in the classrooms and as demonstration, within the school, of what can and should be done with our food waste. IMHO..Outdoor in-ground bins are the way to go for composting this volume of waste. The educational, up-close-and-personal,use of COW's and tote types in the classrooms is invaluable. I could go on and on about this subject...no wait..I already have..:)

Here is a link that might be useful: Vermicomposting@Conn Elementary

SQH1,

Something I was thinking of proposing to my wife's school (teacher also) was a modified wooden pallet compost bin. The plan is originally for traditional composting. You can get the pallets for free at Lowes or Home Depot or have a lumber/construction company hold some for you.

With some cutting styrofoam or plywood, some bolt latches, and a person with carpentry skills you can make really nice outdoor bins. I was thinking that you could cut a square plywood piece, put some hinges on it and you have a top lid.

What is appealing to me about the plans is that this is modular and it allows for expansion (and contraction). Also if you put a layer of styrofoam (with air holes) around the walls, it will be better insulated to handle the weather.

The possible flaw I see with this it that it may be too deep but you could put a shelf or tray(s) or elevate the bottom. If you have shelfs you could then rotate the feedings between the trays/shelves and have a marker for the last tray fed. This would be similar to COW except that it wouldn't have migration between the shelves.

There are plenty of wood pallet resources around my region. The depth and moisture retention are the only concerns I have with it's success.

This is all theory, but it is an idea I have been toying with that I thought I'd share.

See link below for plans.

Charles

Here is a link that might be useful: Wooden Pallet Bin

My school will not allow the outdoor bin idea due to the rural area animals and little playground space. We also do not have a protected area where the weather in winter / summer would not be a factor. There are not shade trees or wind blocks. Sending children outdoors to feed the worms could be a problem too if the weather were 30 below zero. I love the ideas of an outdoor bin but that is not going to be possible.

I did speak to someone who has conducted a waste audit. I think this will be necessary to get an idea of how much waste there is and how many bins will be required. We have anywhere from 50 to 120 students eating lunch each day. I think the audit would have to go on for several weeks to get an average.

The only grant I have found to help fund this project is for Zero Waste in a school. We presently do recycle but I am not sure I could oversee all areas of recycling and wanted to know how other teachers might handle this. Also, a rough average of lunchroom waste would be 10 lb. per day. That would take a lot of bins to handle that amount. In fact, more bins than I have space in my classroom!

I have approached the Parent - Teacher Club about using the castings for the landscaping project outside of our school. They planted hostas so we could have some green around us. (Our school and town were nearly destroyed by a tornado so a lot of new planting is going on since we lost nearly every tree in town.)

I am perplexed about this project. I want it to work but feel that although recycling is a life skill and it has to be a 'habit' to do, I have many subjects to teach each day as well and only so much space in my classroom. Thank you all for the suggestions. I am sorting out the pros and cons for my situation. I hope other teachers are getting ideas as well.

Thanks!

ogsteacher...Don't get too perplexed or overwhelmed with the amount of waste and inability to take care of all of it. Our school project took many turns. If you can build, say a bin per class, let them own it, use it, and understand how it works, these kids, teachers and families will learn a lesson they can carry through the rest of their lives. We can talk and preach about how we don't want OM needlessly finding it's way to the landfill. This project actually shows them how they can do this at home and turn their waste into a valuable resource. I had many parents talk to me and say, "HEY thanks..now we cannot throw anything out at home"! "My child keeps telling me there is no place called "AWAY"!.. and "Don't throw that out..it's WORM FOOD"!
Your enthusiasm will be contagious.
There is a proverb that I love:
You hear...you forget
You see...you remember
You do...you understand.