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Just Plain Weird

Worm Power

You may have heard the term vermicomposting in which a box of worms will eat through kitchen garbage and theirs castings create a liquid fertilizer that feeds soil that will help your plants grow.

So, let’s kick that up a notch. A company called BioFiltro partnered with O’Neill Vintners & Distillers to create the largest worm-powered winery wastewater system in the world. 22,000,000 red worms are at work each day filtering more than one million gallons of water.

The digestive power of these red worms means that they can convert nutrients from the wastewater into worm castings. Within four hours, treated water flows out of pumps throughout the worm beds and into the irrigation ditches in the field. This water is now full of nutrients which improve soil health.

The worm beds cover 5 acres and the entire system of California red wrigglers (as the worms are called) provides a sustainable Biodynamic Aerobic system that will minimize waste, lower the carbon footprint and protect the environment—all while supporting plants growing in the fields.