Worm Poop?

We have over 3,000 excellent reasons: the third graders in Solano County who visit the free, high-energy field trip called Ag Day.  This event is held in mid-March at the Solano County Fairgrounds in Vallejo.  It is open to all county third graders, their teachers, parents, and chaperones.  Hundreds of volunteers prepare interactive agricultural activities for the visitors, introducing them to sheep dog herding, making homemade butter (and eating it), burning a brand, patting baby farm animals, planting seeds, and learning about composting, to name just a few. 

Learning about composting is where the conversations about worm poop bags come in.  UCCE Master Gardeners of Solano County sponsor and staff the booth that demonstrates worm bins, vermiculture, worm castings, and worm tea.  Students can hold red wigglers, or just observe them.  MG's answer questions about what worms eat, why they are important, and how to start a worm composting farm.  As students move on to the next activity, they are each given a souvenir bag of worm poop (amidst much giggling) which includes a website for gaining more information on Master Gardeners. 

As a Master Gardener, I enjoy searching out good resources to increase my background knowledge, especially in terms of helping kids.  I found several beginning books about worms on Amazon.  My favorite is “Wiggling Worms At Work”, by Wendy Pfeffen.  This book gives answers basic to kid-type questions about worm body parts, their babies, life span, eating habits, as well as explaining how earthworms contribute to soil health. 

“Worm Poop?”  Absolutely!  A nutritious gift for your garden, provided by Mother Nature.