Jason Unrau
Northern News Services

Inuvik (June 17/05) - The Inuvik Community Greenhouse just got 1,500 more staff members last week. And how much will this add to the facility's budget you might ask? Not much as these employees eat table scraps and discarded paper.

Inuvik Community Greenhouse co-ordinator Kristen Wenghofer with a red wiggler, one of 1,500 such critters imported from Calgary to turn composted table scraps and discarded paper into a useful fertilizer. - Jason Unrau/NNSL photo

In fact, the new workers are red wiggler worms that have been put to work consuming composted material. Their resulting castings - scientific terminology for worm crap - is what greenhouse co-ordinator is waiting for.

"We want them for their poop," she said while pulling aside shredded paper and table scraps to reveal the little critters hard at work turning garbage into, erm... crap.

"We'll take all we can," said Wenghofer of both the worm's castings and the necessary table scraps to keep the feasting wrigglers satisfied.

"Other (greenhouse) members have done this on their own, but I wanted to start this on a larger scale," she added. "Fifteen-hundred worms is good for a start and we can expand it if we want."

Consume body weight

Each day, a worm will consume the equivalent in its body weight. Those interested in adding to the worms' menu can drop off their compost at the greenhouse during regular business hours.

While the red wigglers are not fussy eaters, Wenghofer says that leftover meat, fats, oils, bones, citrus peels and onion scraps don't agree with the worm palette. As well, worms are not necessary to turn compost into fertilizer, "but hasten the process along. Composting is a little slower (in the North) because there are no earth worms."

As in the traditional cow manure version of naturally occurring fertilizer, worm castings contain nitrogen, phosphates and potassium; the three elements on which plants thrive. Interestingly, worm poop contains on average more nitrogen and substantially greater amounts of phosphates than cow dung.

Those interested in learning more about composting can attend a seminar on June 26 from 1-3 p.m. at the greenhouse. There, Wenghofer's assistant Jessica Gnyp will explain about composting basics and how to take advantage of the greenhouse's composting system located in back of the facility.

On July 24 from 1-3 p.m., Gnyp will be on hand to lead people through the process of creating one's own worm-driven compost box.