Worm Poo

Last year I had the pleasure of meeting Jay and Nellene Myer during a weekend at the Winterthur Garden Fair, and recently ran into them again at the MANTS trade show in Baltimore. What makes the Myer’s different from anyone else at any show I have visited is their dedication to their product line, and belief that they can make a difference. You see… the Myer’s are worm poo wranglers. Otherwise known as the hard-core recyclers at Soil Secret, LLC.

On their farm in Tioga County, PA the Myer’s raise cattle, deer, chickens, pigs and red worms. Farmers through and through, they prefer to live off the land and minimize their impact on the environment by recycling everything from manure to table scraps, and they preach that mantra daily. In a society that prefers disposable materials (my wife developed a nasty Solo cup habit after I cured her of “Styrofoam plate syndrome”) the Myer’s have gone back to what is naturally acceptable. Recycle and reuse.

On first inspection, the secret is obviously plastered on all of their literature, product and straight from Jay’s mouth, but what isn’t obvious is how well earthworm castings work. Worms can make short work the organic matter they take in, and with such a short digestion period the nutrients flow from their bum like the water down the mighty Mississippi. There are a plethora of technical reasons to use worm castings, the most important is the plant response shown in numerous university studies. Castings also reduces the compost period required for manures, and make the resulting fertilizer virtually burn proof.

If you get a chance to visit their site, it is well worth perusing. My only suggestion for the Myer’s is a DIY kit. I implore you to support local agriculture in whatever means possible, poo and all.