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Wormies Expansion

After 4.5 years serving the Greater Grand Rapids area with our composting service and our soil products now being recognized and sought after across the state, Wormies is expanding operations..
www.theWormies.com
May 5×5 Night on the Road in Spanish! Hosted at LAUP in Holland- All entries and presentations must be in Spanish.
Voting Closes:

May 19, 2025 11:59 pm

About this idea
Wormies is a regenerative agricultural business focusing on composting with worms. The worms are fed, in part, food scraps from local residents. The food waste is mixed with carbon sources and passes through stages of hot composting, vermicomposting with worms, and finally harvesting. The finished product is sold as worm castings or blended into craft soil mixes or liquid soil amendments. Worm castings are highly valued by organic gardeners and farmers due to their beneficial microbiology that promotes plant growth and soil fertility. Worm poop is odorless and safe for pets, people and the environment. It is pH-neutral.
Impact
Wormies is more than a conventional composting operation. Most of the space in the new property will be regenerated with the goal of having natural ecosystems that increase the biodiversity in the property and benefit Wormies composting process and finished products. We are currently the only company in Kent County offering a solution for residential composting. With this expansion we will be able to meet the demand for our composting service to more residents and companies in our community.. We will also be able to continue the development of our line of soil products which has now gained recognition nation wide for its unique quality and benefits. Our goal is to first meet the demand for our soil products coming from Michigan growers. Our new site will offer an educational space for the benefit of our community. We believe in the power of community and collaboration around the idea of composting. We offer educational workshops and events throughout the year on various topics including composting and soil health. Wormies is a purpose-driven company that believes these services are essential in improving the health of our communities, including our living ecosystems. By managing valuable resources such as food waste, Wormies is able to cycle nutrients back into the soil to grow plants that are nutrient dense and healthier for consumers. Wormies composting operation is not only a solution that helps neutralize the effect of carbon dioxide emissions from landfills, but it also removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and sequesters it for longer periods of time. This is considered a carbon-negative business.
What I'll do with $5,000
The $25,000 from Start Garden 5x5 All Stars will contribute towards our infrastructure developments which includes: - the construction of a solar powered negative aeration composting system with a carbon filter, - driveway, well and electricity. - purchase of vehicles for our curbside service, - purchase of equipment for compost processing, - purchase of lab equipment for soil testing. - purchase of skid steer - installation of a pond - purchase of brewing equipment to expand our compost spraying service.
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