BELLOWS FALLS — As the opening event of its Spring Workshop Series, the Greater Falls Community Garden Collaborative is sponsoring a hands-on workshop where participants will learn to build a worm composting kit.
The workshop is Sunday, Feb. 10, at 1 p.m., at the United Church of Bellows Falls.
Participation is limited to 10 people, and registration is required by calling Tim Stevenson at 802-869-2141. The workshop is free; however, there is a $25 fee for materials and worms. Participants are encouraged to bring a power drill. Tea and coffee will be available.
Additional upcoming workshops include Gardening I on Feb. 17, Gardening II on March 3, Root Cellaring on March 10, 9 x 12 Gardening (with Henry Homeyer) on April 7, and Container Gardening on April 14.
According to the Collaborative, a consistent challenge in vermiculture (using worms to compost household compostables) is the worms' intolerance to cold, thus limiting the ability to house a year-round composter outside.
Although some homes have basements that could house the critters over the winter, this is not an option for those houses without basements, or for apartment dwellers.
In this workshop, participants will build a compact, portable composter that promotes worm health to efficiently turn kitchen scraps into beautiful black gold compost year-round. It runs nearly odor-free, so you can keep the composter in the house where it's warm. The design is large enough for a typical two or three person household; for larger loads, simply add more composters.
All of the materials you'll need to build a composter, even the worms to get you started, are provided.
Greater Falls Community Garden Collaborative, founded in 2011, serves Rockingham, Bellows Falls, Saxtons River, Grafton, Athens, Cambridgeport, and Westminster. Its mission is to contribute to the local food system through collaborative gardening efforts resulting in the growing of civic pride, the local economy, and a sustainable environment.