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Posted

I would like to set up a wormery/worm farm and have read that you have to get a specific type of worm. Are they available in Thailand? I'm in Chiang Mai and would like to source the worms locally.

Any advice gratefully received... :o

MCL

Posted

Madcatlady,

The most commonly used worm for composting is called "red wriggler" or "red worm". If you google "red wriggler" you will find a multitude of sites that will describe all about them and how to make worm bins and just about every other aspect of worm raising anyone would want to know.

I'm an organic farmer so I always notice when I come across worms. I live in northern Thailand and though I'm not a biologist I believe that many if not all of the worms I have come across here have been red wrigglers....they are small to moderate sized, red, and fairly active when disturbed. Many of the web sites say not to just dig up some worms from your garden for worm composting....but....they are free and readily available so why not just go ahead and try some? You might also try to get some "certified" red wrigglers from someone and I guess if I was in your shoes I would do that as well as use my local worms...but it may be more difficult to get them than you think...but on the other hand perseverence furthers..as a famous Chinese man once said...so might as well start looking for the "certified" worms and maybe they will be easier to find than I think...and also affordable. When you get some then you can compare them to your local worms and then let us know what you find.

I'm wishing you the best of luck in this endeavor and I'm hoping that you keep us posted. I'll be glad to share my opinions with you and others but do be advised that I many times ask questions or post opinions which might challenge people's beliefs.

Chownah

Posted

sorry i gotta ask - and pardon my ignorance - but why would a topic on worms turn into a heated debate :o

obviously members of the farming community know something i dont.. please tell

Posted
I would like to set up a wormery/worm farm and have read that you have to get a specific type of worm. Are they available in Thailand? I'm in Chiang Mai and would like to source the worms locally.

Any advice gratefully received... :o

MCL

To the best of my knowledge there are 3 species of worm found in Thailand that are good for composting. The common red worm, the tiger worm and the night crawler.

As it happens one of the leading research centres in the country is based in Chang Mai at the Institute for science and technology, I'm sure you can find what you require there.

The website "http://www.thewormman.com/thailand/pics.htm" contains pictures of our original farm in Samut Prakan our existing farm In Kanchanaburi and another farm in Kanchanaburi Province that I was contracted to set up by the wormman using our worms, vermicast and advice about 3 years ago and I am still waiting for payment.

Regarding the heated debate which followed a posting I made, I would like tp thank ewele for his diligence as I became tired of trying to get through tp chowna that in most cases the use of vermicast as opposed to cow manure will offset the price difference due to the fact that vermicast will increase crop yields by up to 70% as well as being a natural pesticide amongst a host of other benifits.

It is my belief that this forum should be used as a media amongst expats to assist each other rather than belittle as coducting a business in Thailand can be frustrating as it is without opposition from fellow expats.

I would be interested to hear from any Farangs who are growing organic produce here as we are currently negotiating export terms with a major British buyer of organic food.

Posted

Wow, who knew that the subject of worms could be so interesting!!! A heated debate...

Sorry but I'm a bit of a fraud on the farming forum as I just have a rai of land for residential purposes and want to set up a veggie patch. The worm farm was a suggestion of a friend of mine who has been helping me to find a solution for dealing with household rubbish. Our village has no collection service and I'm loathe to burn household waste unless there's really no alternative. A compost heap and wormery seem like good solution for the disposal of foodscraps etc.

Rightio... I'm just off to check out the wormman website and will let you know how I get on.

Thanks everyone for your input. :o

MCL

Posted
Wow, who knew that the subject of worms could be so interesting!!! A heated debate...

Sorry but I'm a bit of a fraud on the farming forum as I just have a rai of land for residential purposes and want to set up a veggie patch. The worm farm was a suggestion of a friend of mine who has been helping me to find a solution for dealing with household rubbish. Our village has no collection service and I'm loathe to burn household waste unless there's really no alternative. A compost heap and wormery seem like good solution for the disposal of foodscraps etc.

Rightio... I'm just off to check out the wormman website and will let you know how I get on.

Thanks everyone for your input. :o

MCL

I wouldn't exactly call it a heated debate....I'm not heated over the difference of opinion I have with syduan and ewelve. I mostly just maintain that for the price that was quoted long ago for wormcastings a farmer would do better financially to buy cow manure and use it...and I still think that this is correct even after looking at links which they suggested and looking at related links which I found at their sites. Your idea on the other hand is an ideal one for using worms. Using worms for disposal of food wastes and even human waste is an economically viable system in some situations....if you can get people to give you food wastes and arrange to get it collected with minimal hassles then you should be able to use worms to turn the waste into excellent compost which you can use on your land. My own opinion (which differs from ewelve and syduan) is that I doubt that you would be able to sell worm castings to farmers....maybe you could sell worm castings to urban dwellers who have no space to make compost and don't want to bother. Good luck and let us know what develops.

Chownah

  • 4 weeks later...
Posted

Hi to all, I have had a little experience in the field of 'worming' and all I can add to this post is that worms are a major bio-mechanic link in many/most organic processess...... if you are at all interested (farmers, vegetable producers etc) worms are indeed a benefit......... Perhaps there are individuals out there that do agree with the former posting that "conducting a business can be frustating as it is without opposition" In a nutshell .....I'm looking for similar ideas/ideals to live by here in the in LOS.... Any takers?

Posted
I would like to set up a wormery/worm farm and have read that you have to get a specific type of worm. Are they available in Thailand? I'm in Chiang Mai and would like to source the worms locally.

Any advice gratefully received... :o

MCL

i looked up earthworm farms on the net,since i was interested in breeding them for use as catfish feed. found out that the dried stuff has about 95% protien. lots of adverts for equipment but no real info on how quickly they will multiply. i tried one of their simple home-made wormeries but realised that i would have to do it large scale(very) if i was going to get the quantities i would need. but what did surface is that a south african 5-star hotel in somerset west,cape province is using earthworms to process their tons of kitchen waste,which was becoming a problem. i forget the numbers, but they got it right,and process tons of waste very quickly this way. castings and "nectar" have reportedly provided an extra revenue. and the smell and waste problem have been cured.

i forget the site, but you should find it relatively easily just doing a google search on earthworms, but what i suggest is that you get in touch with the MOUNT NELSON hotel,SOMERSETWEST,CAPE PROVINCE in SOUTH AFRICA

good luck, and please let us know when you have a few tons of earthworms for sale as fishfood.

frikkiel

  • 4 weeks later...
Posted

I have a patch of land near Chiang Rai. The soil is already packed with worms in the rainy season (but where do they go in the dry season?)

A few times I've found giant worms, over 2 feet long! They're light violet color with a faint yellow strip down along the top. ....but I'm off topic.

I'd like practical info on developing worm castings. Methinks it works best on cement slab - which would enable the stuff to get shoveled and used. However, having them in a pit or in trenches in the ground would enable worms to escape in to a garden or orchard - and further their good work. Any suggestions appreciated.

Related topic: there's a site called http://cricketpoop.com (I think that's the URL) - I'm guessing the guy keeps the crickets happy by feeding then corn related fodder. Any insight to how to generate cricket and/or insect poop would be appreciated. The odd things that keep life interesting. ....and the Thais think all we're concerned about is beer and chicks and keeping our visas up-to-date.

Posted

Brahmburgers,

If you don't want to answer this slightly off topic question then feel free to decline it....why do you want to develop worm castings? If you have lots of worms in your ground already what is the point? Why not just feed the worms you have with manure which is what is often used as worm food in large operations. This is what I do...it is alot less work to just put manure on your gareden then it is to grow worms, seperate out the castings, and then put the castings on the garden. I'm not trying to dampen your enthusiasm...just wondering what your approach is.

chownah

  • 2 years later...

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