Agrolan agtech company goes to the worms

Those of you who grew up in countries blessed with ample fresh water supplies may have fond memories of going fishing as a child with paper carton filled with small, wriggly earthworms.

Most people in the Middle East, however; due to chronic water scarcities, have seldom seen this little squiggly creature that is often found in home gardens in Europe and North America.

Known as the common redworm or earthworm, these amazing creatures are one of Mother Nature’s  biological wonders for eating their way through organic waste.

The value of this little creature in breaking down and consuming garbage has led Egypt to turn to earthworms to save its environment by literally eating their way through mountains of organic waste products.

The idea of using redworms to consume left-over food wastes, paper products and other organic based items has inspired an Israeli agritech firm, Agrolan to sell red worm colonies to people as a green way to rid them of organic garbage as well as produce valuable compost material for gardens.

Make worm-led compost

You can always get chickens to eat your organic waste, like Karin does at her city chicken coop. But if you don’t have space for chickens or goats, earthworms, the red variety is a perfect way to make your own factory for rich, nutrient compost.

Agrolan sells earthworms for about $16 a box. They also sell  all kinds of agtech equipment;  including advanced drip irrigation systems, sensors for plants,  and weather monitoring devices.

The introduction of redworms for a greener way to dispose of food wastes is a new concept for Agrolan,
which grows and sells them to people who want a more environmentally friendly way to rid themselves of garbage while producing  compost for home gardens.

“Raising worms is an educational experience that enriches the whole family; and of course they make an important contribution to the environment,  eating unwanted household trash and providing a natural source of compost,”  says Agrolan CEO Yehuda Glikman.

For a modest price Agrolan will deliver a small container “batch” of red worms, which are enough for the purchasers to start their own worm bed. Glickman adds that the worms should be kept in a dark, moist place, preferably in a clear plastic container so children can better watch the worms grow.

A worm population can double in size in a three month period. In addition to producing compost their excrement, the worms also produce liquids that are good for the earth environment they are introduced into.

More about composting and using animals to eat garbage:

Cairo Sustainably Manages Garbage with Unionized Pigs and Rag Pickers
Egypt turns to earthworms to save its environment
Make Greener Teens Through Composting

Image of worms from Shutterstock