A Tour of the AZ Worm Farm

On a hot July morning, we decided to brave the heat and check out the Arizona Worm Farm. We are proponents of the benefits of any worm castings, but fresh worm castings are a game changer!

Owner Zach, worm guru Roxcelli, and lead cashier Savannah gave us a tour and answered our questions.

The Arizona Worm Farm is located in South Phoenix on a 10-acre property. Zach Brooks has been commercially farming worms since 2016. In 2017, he purchased the current land and started the farm in February 2018. It is a self-sustaining ”circular system,” off-grid, and fully functional farm. Food waste from other industries that typically goes into landfills is turned into nutrient-rich fertilizer with the help of red wiggler earthworms. The farm consists of the main vermiculture and black soldier fly area, vegetable gardens, composting area, and a food forest is currently in the works.

BREEDING WORMS AND BLACK SOLDIER FLIES

We started our tour visiting the breeding space – a fully air conditioned converted shipping container where the team breeds thousands of worms. The correct bedding, moisture, and cool even temperature are important to keep the worms reproducing and in good health. The timing of feeding, breeding, and collecting castings is all carefully planned.

The Arizona Worm Farm also uses black soldier fly larvae to help with composting. We learned that they will eat any leftover food waste except animal bones. Some of the larvae are kept fresh or freeze dried to feed the many chickens on the farm, enhancing the color, nutrition, and flavor of their eggs.

Worm Farm Class

We are hosting a vermicomposting class taught by the AZ Worm farm on November 2, 2019! Stay Tuned for more details!

AVAILABLE PRODUCTS FROM THE AZ WORM FARM

WORM CASTINGS.

Fresh worm castings are far superior to the dried big box store options. Worm castings are relatively low in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. However, worm castings contain over 60 other micronutrients and trace minerals. Fresh worm castings are rich in microbial life which is highly beneficial to the growth and health of plants. Additionally, castings are rich in chitinase, which helps with root-knot nematodes and disease suppression. The Arizona Worm Farm tests their castings professionally at two independent labs: IAS Laboratories and Dr. Elaine’s Soil Foodweb Laboratory. They are currently working to produce a more fungal-dominant casting, as fungal dominant soils hold more water and grow healthier plants.

Worm castings make an excellent addition to tree planting holes, new vegetable/garden beds or as a top-dress for existing trees and garden beds. Because these castings are so fresh, a little goes a long way.

LIVE WORMS.

The live worms from Arizona Worm Farm are already adapted to the heat and humidity of our desert climate and will not experience the same stress and shock as other worms. The farm sells packages of roughly 500 mature worms with approximately 100 cocoons and 200 juvenile worms. Inoculated material from their habitat is also included. This material is familiar to them and helps the worms settle into their new habitat easily.

COMPOST AND MULCH.

Compost from the AZ Worm Farm is alive and rich in microbial life. It is not dry or hydrophobic, which is often a problem with compost purchased at big box stores where products are left for months to dry out in the heat. This compost is sold shortly after packing and is at its prime if used within 6 months of purchase. Keep cool and moist to lengthen shelf life if you do not plan to use immediately.

BASALT ROCK.

Locally procured in Snowflake, AZ, this is the product we recommend instead of Azomite. Mineral rock breaks down slowly over time, making crucial minerals available over the life of a tree or other plants on your property.

EAST VALLEY PICKUP

Saturday, October 19th, 2019: You can pickup these great products from the AZ Worm Farm in the East Valley! Simply click on the products below for more details and to order. Now you don’t have to drive to Phoenix for these local, alive, and microbial rich products!

Here’s what Zach has to say about the Farm's fresh worm castings:

“The main message for what we do is that Microbes Matter. We strive to let nature help us create perfect gardens by avoiding artificial (chemical) fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides – all of which are hard to manage and tend to generate unhealthy growth. We add organic materials (like our compost) and active microbes (from our castings and Teas) and let nature do the rest! The microbes from our castings turn the material in the soil into food for our plants. They improve the water retention capability of the soil and spur strong healthy growth that naturally deters pests. And, it is super easy – just add organic material before each planting and castings three times a year. A special note: microbes are living, breathing organisms that need air and water to survive. If you are buying castings in a sealed plastic bag, you are probably not getting the best part of the value of the castings.”