how to feed the worms...

I know it sounds gross, but feeding worms is not all that bad. I start by collecting kitchen scraps (ks), The parts of the fruit or veggies that gets cut of and usually thrown away. I also go through my fridge the night before trash gets picked up and I toss into my k.s. pile all the produce that's gotten soggy and won't get eatten by us. I place all these left over k.s. into the freeze in a gallon ziploc bag. When I fill up the bag (about a week or two), I go outside and I push all the worm bedding (looks like soil) into one side and then dump the food in and cover it again with the bedding. These worms don't eat food that is "above ground". It also helps prevent other critters and things feasting.

Why freeze? In my early years of worm composting, i'd get a lot of ants in the bin. So another worm composter recommended to freeze the food. This helped in several ways: 1. the food thaws out and moistens the bedding (it is very important for worms to have a moist environment) 2. The food as it thaws out, decomposes faster making it easier for worms to consume (also important since they don't have teeth) 3. The ants can't smell frozen food and don't like a freezing environment. (i've never seen ants walking in the snow). During supper hot days, I'll place ice cubes on the top of the bedding to help moisten the top and keep flying critters and things away.

A lot of worm composters keep the worms in a regular size storage bin under there kitchen sinks for easy feeding. The closest Ed alows me to keep the worms near the sink is out side by our trash bins (which is a lot closer than what I had then last year!). As long as the area is shaded ps: the best way to control worm population is on the amount you feed them. The more food, the more the worms... Where to get these adorable creatures? Master Gardeners near the red barn sells them during the OC fair. They also sells bins. Can't wait for summer to start worm composting? LA/OC county smart gardening program has workshops almost every weekend and they sell worms and supplies. PS: They have a raffle at the end of the workshop where you can win the supplies for free (that's how I got started)!

These pea pods are so fresh, we just pluck them and eat straight off the vine.

We bought a six pack of cilantro for 99 cents and know it's taken over my side of the house kitchen garden. We usually forget to buy cilantro when we're at the store, so it's kinda nice having it on hand when we need it. Since our cars are parked near it, we brush against it and a nice aroma fills the air!