KYECLOGO
Lexington, KY – It is a highly unusual story; two friends who were farmers from Italy, met in Lexington and now own and operate a business that raises earthworms for fertilizer. Only in America.
Harald Gampers and German Giuliani have turned a love for organic products into a business that creates one of the most natural forms of fertilizer to supply an increasing market demand.
The idea for Kentucky Earthworm Castings is to produce a fertilizer that is chemical free thus creating healthier plants and a healthier earth.
The fertilizer is made up of the castings, or excretions from the worms and the act of doing it is known as vermicomposting.
This use of worms, in this case European red worms, to convert organic material into fertilizer has been around as long as the worm itself but doing it in a controlled environment, on a large scale or even at home became more popular in the 70’s, a time when the move toward organics was gaining attention.
The company’s website notes, “We believe that what's good for the earth is good for us, too. We believe we are making sustainable agriculture a reality... changing the soil, changing the planet- through the art of soil alchemy.”
This transforming of something common into something special is what the two are banking on to make their company a success.
“We wanted to do something because the trend was really going to organic and we buy organic food and try to live healthy,” Gampers said. “So we started doing research and found this is something we could do.”
Last year the partners rented a facility in the downtown area, found machinery from other farmers who were already in the same business and created their system to produce the fertilizer.
The process involved first purchasing 1,000 worms from a company in Wisconsin, then setting up a network of buckets that served as the worms’ production facilities. Through the use of peat moss and organic food, the worms turn the contents of those buckets into the valued fertilizer. Right now production has reached about a ton and a half, every two weeks.
The worms also reproduce thus creating a “value-added” product known as fishing bait. Gampers said they sell bait to area merchants which last longer than other baits due to the fact that these worms are not refrigerated.
“Right now we are where we want it to be. We’d like to sell a little more and there is potential to grow,” he said. “As the market grows, we have the capability to produce a lot more than we are producing right now.”
The fertilizer, which is basically odorless, is safe for all plants, inside and out. It is also good for lawns, especially for those homeowners with pets. It is good for pasture grazing animals and is so safe in fact, Gampers said you could eat it, although he does not recommend it.
Because of the worm’s digestive system breaks the soil so completely that it will not harm the plant, the fertilizer becomes 100 percent available to the plant, said Gampers.
“Other fertilizers, if you apply too much, it will burn the plant,” he explained. “Something like manure has a lot of acidity and it will hurt the plant. This product is even good for indoor, sensitive plants. You could plant an orchid straight into this fertilizer and it would not kill the plant.”
Both Gampers and Giuliani work other jobs as a truck driver and in a hair salon, respectively. But if the model they have developed continues to grow, they may have to give those up for the worm-raising business.
Besides gaining information from others in the business, the budding entrepreneurs have enjoyed the support of the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture.
“We have sent in samples and (UK) has tested it for all the minerals and everything it contains to be displayed on the label,” he said.
That label information becomes all too important as the USDA uses that to determine if a product can be certified as organic. The company is currently going through that process.
Kentucky Earthworm Castings offers different products and sizes for the home gardener as well as the person who wants to fertilize a field. It is already available through a couple of local merchants and online.
“This is still new so we are trying to introduce this to people,” Gampers said. “Right now we work our other jobs to maintain it but eventually it will be our full-time business.”
He also said the move toward this type of fertilizer has increased in other places like California and the demand is growing here.
“People, like organic farmers, know about it but they say it is hard to come by so we thought if we bring it to Kentucky that these people might consider using it,” Gampers said.
Darwin once said the earthworm was one of the most unappreciated creatures on the planet. Gampers and Giuliani see the value in the worm and are banking on it making a dream come true.
For more information about Kentucky Earthworm Castings, go to their web site at http://www.kentuckyearthwormcastings.com/KECHomeEg.html or call 417-861-6410 or 859-420-8274.