From Canadian Wildlife
Federation
Cathy Nesbitt’s journey to becoming a Worm Advocate.
Read
full article ... |
Cathy's
Laugh Club
Join us for some laughs.
Worm of the Month:
Bristle worm - A marine worm that can tolerate
the extremely high temperatures near hydrothermal vents.
How do you stop The Blob from
eating worms?
Give him a good slug.
|
Something new in Networking
Green
Connections
A business group with a Green attitude.
Green Connections is now incorporated as a Non-for-profit
organization.
Next meetings:
- Aug. 24, 2016 (4:30 pm)
Location: Garden Lore
22379 Warden Ave, Queensville, ON
Theme: Forest Walk, Potluck Summer Gather
Guests always welcome.
www.green-connections.com |
Green Connections Film Festival
Mark September 12th on your calendar for the next instalment
of the Green Connections Film Festival. Doors open at 7:00
pm, film starts at 7:30.
Our Next presentation:
First Earth
An audiovisual manifesto filmed over the course of 4 years
and 4 continents, FIRST EARTH makes the case
that earthen homes are the healthiest housing in the world;
and that since it still takes a village to raise a healthy
child, it is incumbent upon us to transform our suburban sprawl
into eco-villages, a new North American dream.
Join us for this special presentation.
When:
Mon Sep 12. 7:00pm
Where:
Sharon-Hope United Church
18648 Leslie St. Sharon, ON |
What do you get if you cross
a glow worm with a python?
A 15 foot strip light that can
strangle you to death!
|
Featured Videos
of the month:
Nature Is Speaking |
A
visually stunning reminder of who we are dealing with.
Click here to see video
|
Sprouting Beans |
Looking
for a little variety in your sprouting beans?
Crimson, French, Small & Large lentils.
Fenugreek, Chickpea, Speckled Pea and of course the main stay,
Mung beans are all now available to spice up your taste buds.
Come to Cathyssprouters.com
to find out more. |
Save your money! |
Want/need worms? Want to save the shipping?
Why not attend one of our upcoming
events and pick up your worms at the same time. Come and
see the worms up close and personal.
We often sell out at events, pre-orders will
guarantee you can what you want. |
To see when we will
be coming to an event near you please visit
our events page. |
Feedback
|
So what do you think about
the Worm Away Newsletter?
Have we wormed our way into your heart?
Feedback Form
We are looking for input for upcoming newsletters.
Send us your comments, suggestions, stories
and pictures. Please let us know of any wormy
topics you would like to see covered here.
|
Please tell us what you think.
Follow
this link to Feedback form. |
For me this is the best video on YouTube (Vermicomposting
101) for learning just what it takes to make
a vermicomposting bin. I've watched dozens of them that are
so over done, cheesy, or just bad. This is quite good.
Cody T |
|
Happy
Canada Day |
Welcome to Summer
Top
5 Summer Worm Bin Tips.
The mercury is climbing and the snow is but a distant
memory. Buds have exploded in a symphony of colour and
the insects are back. And boy, are they hungry. Of course
all this means is that we are once again in the throes
of
summer. Not quite the dog days yet, but they are coming.
With consistent warm temperatures many people are considering
bringing their worm bins outside for the summer. Although
if you ask the worms they would tell you that they prefer
to stay indoors year-round.
If you do bring your worms outdoors this year here
are 5 tips that will help:
- Avoid direct sunlight. A shady
location is better. The best operating temperature
for a worm bin is between 15 - 28 degrees Celsius
(60 - 80 Fahrenheit). When temps get above 28 your
Red Wigglers may get a bit uncomfortable. They will
still continue to convert organics to castings but
they will be operating at a much slower pace.
- Keep your worm bin moist. Outdoor
bins have a tendancy to dry out faster. Make sure
your bin is moist enough for the worms. You want your
bedding to be the consistency of a wrung-out sponge.
- Watch out for the bugs. They're
are many more insects outside than there are indoors.
Most bugs and critters will ignore your bin but keep
an eye peeled for the dreaded centipede. Centipedes
will not harm the worms but they absolutely love worm
eggs. One of these multi-legged creatures can wipe
out a whole generation of worms. Sow bugs, beatles
and spiders may be okay in an outdoor bin but you
probably don't want them indoors.
- Beware
the rain. If there are holes in the lid of
your bin make sure you have a cover that will block
the rain from flooding out your bin. One of the reasons
we love the Worm Chalet is the sloped roof with no
holes in the roof. Many other systems have a vented
roof which lets rainwater flow through.
- Find a good home. To avoid some
of the more curious nocturnal animals out there (yes
I'm talking about you Mr. Raccoon.) a good option
is to find a home for your bin in a garage or shed.
In our experience raccoons generally ignore worm bins.
However, if hungry enough (or curious enough) they
will go through a worm bin.
Teachers.
Did you know that Summer is a great time to apply for
funding. Apply now and start your Vermiculture program
at the beginning of the school year. Students will experience
the entire vermicomposting cycle, from setup to harvest,
throughout the school year. A worm bin in the classroom
offers cross-curicular learning opportunities.
To
order please call Cathy's Crawly Composters at
1-888-775-9495. Operators are standing by (not
really, but we do have an answering machine). |
|
|
Some summer fun for the kids this
summer.
Why not build a garden?
Toronto Urban Growers
School Gardens and Growing With Kids
Toronto Urban Growers (TUG) is a group passionate about making
it possible to grow healthy produce within modern urban landscapes.
To that end TUG has compiled a list with helpful links to
a number of Individuals, Companies and City Departments that
can help schools build their own garden oasis and develop
the next generation of Urban Farmers.
The following organizations have great examples of children’s
garden programming, and many have free online resources to
help you with your own garden.
- City of Toronto Children’s Eco Programs
Camps, school visits, a children’s garden, teaching kitchen
and more! www.childrensecoprograms.ca
- Black Creek Community Farm
Offers farm camps, school visits and youth internship programs.
www.blackcreekfarm.ca/kids-and-youth/
- Evergreen
Evergreen’s programs include Greening School Grounds, Outdoor
Learning & Play, Youth Leadership and Day Camps http://www.evergreen.ca/our-impact/children/
Online resources include school grounds and packages for
teachers www.evergreen.ca/get-involved/resources/
- FoodShare
FoodShare’s programs page has a number of tools for anyone
interested in getting kids active in the garden. foodshare.net/programs/
- Garden Jane
Offers activities at schools, farmer’s markets, festivals
and events, including special programs for babies, toddlers
and parents. They design activities to meet special needs.
Also they offer garden design and curriculum-linked activities
for schools, day cares and organizations. www.gardenjane.com
- Green Thumbs Growing Kids
Green Thumbs Growing Kids teaches urban children, youth
and families how to grow and use fresh, nutritious foods
in an environmentally sustainable and socially just manner.
Hands-on programs are on school and park lands in the east
downtown core. Their website contains a toolkit with lesson
plans for garden-based learning. http://greenthumbsto.org/
- The Spiral Garden
The Spiral Garden is an arts and nature camp program for
kids of all abilities at the Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation
Hospital. www.hollandbloorview.ca
- The Stop Community Food Centre
The Stop Community Food Centre runs school visits and after
school programs focused on many aspects of healthy, sustainable
food. You can download an online handbook for grades 3 and
5. www.thestop.org/
- Seed to Table
Seed to Table's Instars is an organization in the Kingston-Galloway/Orton
Park neighbourhood that promotes healthy eating, and a healthy
environment. Our members meet up every week to cook healthy
meals, work in the Danzig garden and plan events for our
program. seed-table
- Castle Compost
Children’s fun & factual illustrated adventure books to
help teach composting. www.castlecompost.com.
- Cathy’s Crawly Composters
Cathy’s Crawly Composters is an environmentally driven worm
composting business. We supply red wiggler worms, bins,
castings, books and accessories. Everything needed to get
started. We offer inspirational classroom workshops and
worm birthday parties. Worms in the class offer a tremendous
learning opportunity! www.cathyscomposters.com/
- Backyard Urban Farming Company (BUFCO)
BUFCO installs raised beds and runs gardening programs for
schools. www.bufco.ca/
- USC Canada
USC Canada has educational resources for primary grades
on seed saving. http://usc-canada.org/
|
Mysterious giant mounds found in South
American wetlands have long puzzled onlookers. But now scientists
finally know what the gigantic mounds are mostly made of:
Worm Poo.
A new study on the mounds, which are called surales, marks
the first ever research to
describe their formation.
The scientists also found that surales form when earthworms
feed in shallowly flooded soils. As the worms release vermicast,
they form towers above water level. As each earthworm returns
to the same spot to feed and poo, the towers become mounds
that can get up to 16 feet in diameter!
"The fact we know they were created by earthworms across
the seasonally flooded savannahs of South America will certainly
change how we think about human verses naturally-built landscapes
in the region," José Iriarte from the University
of Exeter's Archaeology Department said in a press release.
Towers of earthworm poo aren’t just architectural wonders:
They also have an important role in ecology by altering soil
moisture, which can affect the types of plants that can grow,
adds Lavelle, who has studied earthworms for four decades
but wasn't involved in the new study.
“It is a very important work that has great meaning
with regards to the view we have on soils and their management,”
he says. |
The
Local Poop
In Ontario, you may run across local mounds of worm poo but
they rarely get bigger than 2" - 3".
Piles of worm castings (worm poo) can be found in most parks,
forests and possible your backyard. Look for what seem to
be small balls of earth piled together beside a small hole.
The hole is where the worms live. These are usually Nightcrawler
homes. |
|
Upcoming Events
Want/need worms? Want to save the shipping? Why
not attend one of our upcoming events ... come and see the
worms up close and personal. We often sell out at events,
pre-orders will guarantee you can get what you want.
|
Date:
July 9, 2016
Event: Aurora Farmers' Market & Artisan
Fair
Location: Aurora Town Park
49 Wells Street, Aurora, ON
The Aurora Farmers' Market offers a wide
selection of produce from local farmers, delicious food
vendors, and beautiful creations by talented Artisans.
On Special Event days, they offer free music for everyone’s
enjoyment and crafts for children. The Market is open
Saturdays (rain or shine), June through Oct. from 8:00
a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Stop by the Cathy's Crawly Composters
booth to talk to Cathy and see what all the excitement
is about Sprouts and our new Sprout Grower. |
Date:
July 10, 2016
Event: LifeStock Food & Farm Festival
Location: Wholearth Farmstudio
143 Concession Rd 14 E, Hastings, ON
Bring friends and family for a fun day
of life, love and learning with live music, great food,
talks and walks at Wholearth Farmstudio in Northumberland
County. For many, the “stock” of a good life is made
up of wholesome ingredients like fresh farm food, family,
friends, health and community. Good work and creative
expression round out the wellness wish list, so come
enjoy! Be sure to check out Cathy's presentation: The
Wonder of Worms and the Simplicity of Sprouts. |
Date:
July 27, 2016
Event: Inglewood Farmers' Market
Location: Inglewood Park
15551 McLaughlin Road, Inglewood, ON
The Inglewood Farmers' Market began in
the 2008, and has evolved into a community-gathering
place that is well known as an exceptional location
to sample and shop for local foods. Stop by
the Cathy's Crawly Composters booth to talk
to Cathy and see what all the excitement is about Sprouts
and our new Sprout Grower. |
Date:
July 31 - August 1, 2016
Event: The Georgian Homesteading &
Survival Show 2016
Location: Markdale Arena
75 Walker St, Markdale, ON
Farm, Homesteading, Solar, Survival, Sustainability.
Get information on what it takes to be self sustainable.
This year’s show will be bigger and better than last
years show. With more vendors and some great presentations
by various experts in the field of homesteading, self
sustainability, preparedness and much much more. Be
sure to check out Cathy's presentation: The Wonder of
Worms and the Simplicity of Sprouts. |
Date:
August 10, 2016
Event: Worm Bin Composting
Location: Thornhill Community Centre
7755 Bayview Ave. Markham, ON
David Allanson Jones was a storekeeper
and postmaster who settled in the small West Gwillimbury
community of Clarksville during the 1860's. Across Europe
and North America, David A. Jones became known as the
Bee King of the Nineteenth Century. In 1875, Clarksville
was renamed Bee Town in his honour. Eventually the spelling
was changed to the short British form, Beeton. The quaint
Victorian Main Street will be lined with over 170 vendors
selling items for the home, garden and you! Snap up
that perfect vintage table at our Antique Alley, purchase
an Alpaca sweater at our International Bazaar, or a
one-of-a-kind piece of art at the SSAC Artist & Artisan
Marketplace. Visit the Cathy's Crawly Composters booth
and find out what's new with the worms and sprouters. |
Date:
August 13, 2016
Event: Aurora Farmers' Market & Artisan
Fair
Location: Aurora Town Park
49 Wells Street, Aurora, ON
The Aurora Farmers' Market offers a wide
selection of produce from local farmers, delicious food
vendors, and beautiful creations by talented Artisans.
On Special Event days, they offer free music for everyone’s
enjoyment and crafts for children. The Market is open
Saturdays (rain or shine), June through Oct. from 8:00
a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Stop by the Cathy's Crawly Composters
booth to talk to Cathy and see what all the excitement
is about Sprouts and our new Sprout Grower. |
Date:
August 31, 2016
Event: Inglewood Farmers' Market
Location: Inglewood Park
15551 McLaughlin Road, Inglewood, ON
The Inglewood Farmers' Market began in
the 2008, and has evolved into a community-gathering
place that is well known as an exceptional location
to sample and shop for local foods. Stop by
the Cathy's Crawly Composters booth to talk
to Cathy and see what all the excitement is about Sprouts
and our new Sprout Grower. |
|
For
a full listing and directions to all events please visit
our website. |
Compost Stories
So I was poking around in the compost pile
the other day ...
So
I was poking around in the compost pile the other day and
I came across a beautiful Black Walnut seed that had started
to grow. The root system had already developed into a healthy
mass stretching down into the soil, hungry for some needed
nutrients. The stem had broken free of the shell and was shooting
up toward the sun. Greedy for some photons and ready to start
the photosynthesis dance converting carbon into oxygen.
We already have a beautiful Black Walnut on our property.
No doubt this seed was the progeny of our tree. The idea of
growing one of these beautiful giant trees from seed was something
I've always wanted to do. So a plan was formed. We'd start
this treeling off in a large container and worry about a permanent
location
later.
A large planter was dug out of the back of the garage and
filled part way with rich soil from the garden. The remainder
was topped off with a liberal dose of worm castings. The baby
Black Walnut was gently nestled into soil/compost mix and
sprinkled with some fresh rain-barrel water. We then placed
the planter in a prominent sunny location and left it to settle
in.
We left our new tree-ling with a sense of anticipation and
feeling of pride in a job well done. It was now packed in
a nutrient rich bedding and would have a better
opportunity to grow into a giant of the neighbourhood. In
the future our new Black Walnut tree be home to countless
birds and squirrels and would provide us with cool refreshing
shade for years to come.
We went to bed that night content with the idea that we were
setting a course for decades to come. We were going to watch
that tree grow into a grand specimen.
Isn't it funny how sometimes the
universe has other plans.
The next morning we grabbed a coffee, grabbed a watering
can and went down to the garden to see how our new tree sprout
was doing.
Gone! All that was left in the planter was fresh soil and
an even fresher hole. Some scallywag of a squirrel or chipmunk
had taken my Walnut sprout and either made a great meal of
it or decided it needed to be buried somewhere else.
Whatever the outcome there is one thing I know. There will
always be an empty spot in our backyard that will be haunted
with the potential of what could have been. |
|
In
the News
Print
- Sprouting, How and Why
By Cathy Nesbitt for Apsley Backroads.
Is there really a global food shortage? Some sources
claim that we are in eminent danger of running out
of food unless we embrace the practice of genetically
modified organisms (GMOs) to produce more abundant
crops. Others suggest organic is the way to go and
if we stop harming the soil with chemical fertilizers,
our farms will produce more food naturally. The truth
is that there is actually more than enough food to
feed the world. The problem is getting nutrient rich
food to where it is most needed.
Read
article ...
- This Worm Has Turned - Local Hero Series
By Canadian Wildlife
Cathy Nesbitt of Bradford, Ont., put aside a long-standing
fear of worms in 2002 and opened Cathy’s Crawly Composters,
a business to support vermiculture. Worms are superb
at turning organic waste into high-quality compost
— “black gold,” as Nesbitt calls it. And there’s no
one like her when it comes to promoting its value.
Read
article ...
The Blog-O-Sphere
- Cathy Nesbitt AKA Cathy
Crawly Laughing Bean Queen
GOTresearch
Over the last 14 years, from being afraid of worms
to Local Hero recognized by the Canadian Wildlife
Federation, Cathy Nesbitt has grown as an entrepreneur.
Cathy’s new title incorporates all her specialties:
Cathy Crawly Laughing Bean Queen. With both hands
wrist deep in worm chalets…she also grows sprouts
and beans (certified organic, of course). Cathy’s
character is vibrant and full of laughter. Her latest
gig teaches us how to release tension through laughter
yoga.
Read
post ...
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For all the wormy news please
visit
our website. |
|
Worms at the cottage
Are the worms right for your cottage?
Do you have a cottage? Are you on the watershed? You may
need worms. Did you know that adding worms to your outhouse
or pit toilet can increase its efficiency.
Many cottagers are not happy campers. Why?
Because they have had to close down their backyard composters
for fear of attracting bears. We have a solution for you.
Bring your composting indoors. Consider composting inside
the cottage with worms! You can still carry on composting
and you will not tempt the bears. These wonderful worms will
even continue their job of turning your organic waste into
castings while you wile away your time back in the city. |
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