2019 ASHS Annual Conference

Vermicomposting is a process in which red wiggler worms, Eisenia fetida Savigny, break down organic material and transform it into vermicompost, a valuable horticultural commodity, while diverting a significant amount of organic matter from the waste stream. College campuses dispose of an estimated 22 million pounds of food per year, material that could be utilized in a vermicomposting system. The purpose of this study was to: 1) establish the vermicomposting system at Tarleton State University using red wiggler worms and cafeteria food waste as a primary feedstock, 2) determine the horticultural and economic potential of using vermicompost in horticultural production courses at the university. Approximately twenty-five pounds of food waste were collected weekly from one cafeteria on campus and combined with shredded university paper waste. A vermicomposting system using a layered bin style was constructed using recycled five-gallon food service buckets from university cafeterias. Worms were checked two to three times weekly and rotated through the system in approximately three to four months. Results demonstrated the value of the operation to the university in terms of the product generated for use in horticultural laboratories, the diverted cost of waste disposal, and the potential to generate revenue from vermicompost.