Kathy Hopper of the Conservation Department announced that Bernie and Carl Moro of Vital Earth will be our guest speakers at the November meeting on Tuesday, the 17.
www.ourvitalearth.com/index.htm
Wonder Worms
Bernie and Carl Moro are the driving force behind the Can of Worms (COW) program that teaches local schoolchildren how to reduce organic waste.
Bernie and Carl Moro of Apopka know just about all there is to know about the benefits of earthworms. Yes, those wiggly, squiggly, digging creatures that live in the dirt, aerating the soil and depositing all the nutrients needed for healthy crops to grow in your garden.
Coming from Sainte Genevieve, Mo., the Moros moved to Apopka in 1960 as financial planners, but their roots were buried deep back home in the farming community. As they searched for vitamin-enriched, great-tasting vegetables in Orlando, they realized thatmost of the good stuff was found on the family farm. Self-sufficient farms did not treat their crops with chemicals and pesticides; they relied on the goodness of earthworms to supply the nutrients for healthy crops.
In 1983, the couple jumped at the chance to purchase an abandoned 10 acre chicken farm in rural Apopka. Part of the farm had 4.5 acres of converted greenhouses ready to rent to local farmers who needed the space.
One man was ready to rent when a curious and leery Carl asked him what he was going to do with the greenhouses. He told them he was a vermiculturist.
“A what?” Carl asked. He answered: a worm farmer. In Latin, vermi means worm, and culture means the act or practice of cultivating the soil.
Bernie and Carl were quickly educated on the benefits of using earthworms for fertilizing, fungicides and pesticides in gardens. After some research, they found that Australia was using nature’s own garbage disposals to assist in landfill reduction. In four years, Australia has been able to reduce their organic landfill waste by 65 percent using worms.
So the Moros hopped on a plane to Australia to find out more. There they found one of the foremost experts in vermicology, Darryl Jones of The Vital Earth Company. While studying in Australia, Bernie came up with the mascot Wonder Worm and a song for the mighty invertebrate, sung to the tune of Mighty Mouse’s theme song: “here comes Wonder Worm to save the day.”
Inspired by their mentor Jones, they returned to the U.S. to put their plan into action. With the help of their youngest daughter, Rhonda, they began writing books, brochures and pamphlets describing the wonder of worms and their many benefits.
Parents of nine and grandparents of 29 kids, Carl and Bernie say that worm farming is one of the greatest gifts they can give their family. A healthy planet with less landfill is a legacy that generations can enjoy.
Bernie feels so strongly about being a good global steward that she created the Can of Worms (COW) program to help teach the benefits of worms to students. With help from Kathy Till, the city commissioner of Apopka; Jim Martin, former vice chair of the Orange County School Board; and generous donations from Walmart and Whole Foods, 14 schools in Winter Park and Apopka are studying the benefits of worm composting. This gives the students an opportunity to be actively involved in landfill reduction.
Bernie says, “Fourteen schools times 600 pounds of organic waste equals 4.5 tons of garbage a year not being added to landfills. The children love the idea of bringing food from home to feed their worms and educating their parents on the benefits of earthworms to our planet.”
Since the beginning, Bernie and Carl have sold more than 800 COW kits in the Central Florida area. One kit can handle 10 pounds of organic waste a week, 600 pounds of garbage a year. Multiply that by more than 800 kits, and a total of 240 tons of organic waste is being put back in the ground to enrich our soil.
The Moros are currently broadening their horizons, and, with help from one of their daughters and her husband, they will be bringing COW kits to a Guatemala coffee farm. L
Visit CentralFlorida-Lifestyle.com to find out how to get your own Can of Worms kit.
Article from Central Florida-Lifestyle provided by Bernie Moro.
