December 2022

I thought I would share a quick update on how the worms and I have fared this holiday season. In December we composted 1,368 lbs, a little bit of a drop, but natural as dishes of the season often become meatier and milkier.

The outdoor worm bed is looks promising thus far. When I heard the temperature would be dropping to the single digits with one day having a "real-feel" of -30°F (I mean come on, seriously??), I nervously waited to see how the beds would fare. I'm still in the process of building so I laid on a thick layer of food waste and tried to minimize any gaps that could cause drafts. I was iced-in at my parents' house for a few days and returned to find the bed under a layer of snow. When I pulled back the lid I was amazed to see worms at the top of the pile and the thermometer reading 40 °F, which is still a little chilly for the worms, but by no means is insurmountable.

I have yet to experiment with meat and dairy with the bokashi, though I did ferment my first batch of EM (effective microorganism, a mix of helpful bacteria). 

Unfortunately, December hit me hard. Though, I decided to mask for the winter season, I've still been around more people than I have been in years...ah, covid... and my immune system seems to be making up for lost time. I had two upper respiratory infections and the stomach bug, which left me barely able to complete the basics of running the business. It reminded me of my limitations as one person, which is always a source of frustration for me. I have so many things I want to get done, but so little time and manpower. I have to accept the slow for now, however, and let my body rest up. 

I've also decided to be a little less "one-woman" show and have officially hired my brother, Zach, on as a compost cabbie. If you see him and the Prius picking up compost, give him a wave!

Happy Holidays from all of us at Back2TheDirt! We are excited to see what's in store for 2023.
Katie & The Worms

Fun Fact: Worms are cold blooded creatures and cannot survive below freezing temperatures. So how do worms survive the winter? Some species burrow below the frost line to avoid the cold. While others lay eggs which can survive freezing temperatures. Though theses worms die off in the winter, their babies emerge in the spring.