Worm program leader extraordinaire SHARON TAMANAHA has to bend over to work with the Calvary-by-the-Sea Pipeline bin which was custom built low to the ground for little kids. Vermicast harvested every six months is used as a soil amendment and to brew vericast tea. TEACHERS: Grants are available to acquire major equipment like the Pipeline bin and commercial tea brewer, which make it possible to impement the recycling of campus organic waste. If a PRESCHOOL can do it, how about you?.







Compost Tea Brewer (Continued)

Care of this beautiful asset was the initial impetus for learning about the value of composting worms. Assistant teacher Sharon Tamanaha heads the worm program, which has steadily expanded over the years under her leadership, with the steady support of administration, staff, parents and the church community.

Start small, think big

Calvary started its worm program in 2005 with two teachers who attended a public worm workshop and started two Mini-Bins, each with one ounce of worms. These bins were lovingly tended in the classroom by 3- and 4-year-olds. A couple of successful harvests later, a Can-O-Worms was purchased from the proceeds of a HI-5 can drive. Eventually a second Can was filled to overflowing.

A child-height 10-foot Pipeline worm system, installed last year in the shade of a tree, currently composts 100% of their food waste and cranks out hundreds of pounds of vermicast.

Vermicast tea closes the circle

While solid vermicast is ideal when starting beds and re-potting, for established gardens and large applications, TEA – the liquid extract of vermicast – is the preferred option. Brewing tea also makes a supply of vermicast stretch. Five or six cups of vermicast yields 10 gallons of tea that can treat one acre.

This year, a generous donor gifted the school with a Growing Solutions System10. "We brew up 10 gallons every week." explains Sharon, "and treat the garden and other areas of the property in rotation." On the 4th Sunday of every month, a batch of vermicast tea is brewed for sale to church members. "We sell out every time," says Sharon, and adds that the revenue is more than enough to buy whatever they need – tea catalyst, etc. – to sustain the program.

"We are very, very happy with our brewer," she says, "it's easy to use and clean. Every plant is healthy and robust and the entire property just glows. We have no pest bugs and the tea is safe to use around preschoolers."

For more information on the Growing Solutions Compost Tea System10, click here: more>

Formula for success

For schools and other institutions planning to begin or expand their worm program, Calvary-by-the-Sea Montessori Preschool serves as an excellent model. Although all situations are different, there are some key components to success:

1) A compelling goal and organizing principle. In this case, it was to create a safe, organic way to nourish and care for the school's garden and property. Another strong goal is to reduce waste and reach recycling benchmarks. Some want to restore a prized kalo lo'i. Others want to fundraise by selling worms and vermicast, or by holding workshops in the community with student presenters. In high schools, worms are part of important research projects.

2) Support at every level. Administration, staff, parents and especially custodians, need to be on board. Vermicomposting is both a systems and social change that will require everyone's committment.

3) Leadership. Someone specific has to be in charge.

4) Take your time. Build your program step-by-step so everyone can learn along the way, adjustments can be made and issues resolved.

5) The right tools for the job. This is where Waikiki Worm comes in! We have six years of experience and have done considerable research and development on the products we endorse and stand behind. Please do not skimp on equipment! There are grants available to help schools purchase commercial-grade equipment if your project is sound.