Luther students are serving as "worm keepers"

Four Luther College students have unusual new jobs, to say the least. Luther students Abby Benson, Maddie Ford, Sonja Birthisel and Adam Voss (a Decorah High School graduate) have been designated as "worm keepers" for composting bins in their residence halls.

Luther students have started disposing of fruit and vegetable waste in worm composting bins installed January 15th in seven of Luther's residence halls by students from the Luther Sustainability program.

Students have starting placing food waste, shredded newspapers, paper receipts and old class notes in the compost bins where red worms will convert it to organic matter that will become rich, black loam soil in the Luther Gardens. The principal job of the four students is to make sure the worms have the proper amount of food and bedding. The four students also are educating their peers about the composting bins.

Food for the worms can range from coffee grounds to tea bags, stale bread to houseplant trimmings. No metal, foil or plastic may be placed in the bins, and keepers are warned to be cautious of citrus fruits, onion, dairy products, and meat. Bedding for the worms can include newspaper strips, shredded paper, leaves, spoiled hay and wood shavings.

"The project is exciting because it raises awareness among Luther students about composting and the value of "waste," said Voss, who is the worm keeper for the Brandt Residence Hall. "Response to the program has been surprisingly and overwhelmingly positive, and it is exciting how quickly the project was implemented after it sprouted in the mind of students."

"My responsibilities as worm keeper involve monitoring the compost bin: turning it periodically, adding more carbon sources when needed, and ensuring the worms aren't overfed," said Birthisel, worm keeper in the Ylvisaker Residence Hall. "I'm also excited to promote the project, letting people know the worms are here, and they want to be fed."

The Luther Sustainability program created their own worm composting units using Rubbermaid containers to hold the moist shredded newspaper and moist bedding for the worms.

In ideal composting conditions, the red worms can eat at least their own weight in organic matter in a day. After consuming the compost, all pathogenic bacteria is killed in the worm's digestive system and the worms release casts full of micro-organisms necessary for plant growth.

The worm casts also contain five times more nitrogen, seven times more phosphorus and 11 times more potassium than ordinary soil, nutrients essential for healthy plant growth.

Luther will use the vermicompost as fertilizer in the Luther Gardens. Vermicompost can be lightly tilled into the topsoil, or it can be used to make "compost tea," a liquid fertilizer rich in nutrients for plants in all stages of life.

"Feeding the worms provides a fun way for students to engage with their waste," says Maren Stumme-Diers, assistant sustainability coordinator. "Many students are excited to know their apple cores, banana peels and shredded papers are becoming the basis for rich compost rather than finding a permanent home in a landfill."