Good thing: the irony was not lost on us.
We asked our landlord to put a composting bin in our outdoor garden: denied.
We asked our neighbours to use their bin: denied.
We researched apartment-friendly compost alternatives and discovered that the City of Vancouver had a subsidized worm composting program. We called them up: accepted!
We went for a composting "class". A 101 on how to compost with worms. How to embrace worms into your family. How to maximize their ability to break down food waste. And how to use them to reduce landfill waste and create nutrient-rich soils.
An hour later, we left with our bin, our "bedding" for our worms (straw and shredded paper), a book called "Worms Eat My Garbage" with a hilariously tuxedo-ed worm on the front, and 250 garbage-eating worms in a canvas bag.
We were excited.
And scared.
"Worms are susceptible to weather conditions, different types of acidity levels in food waste, etc." our Worm 101 composting guide warned. "Killing the worms is bad."
After a few weeks, the Wormsters (as we affectionately call them), Paul, and I found our groove. We would cut up our food waste in easy-to-digest diced pieces for our little friends and feed them like clockwork every Saturday, and they, in turn, would odorlessly and efficiently turn our scraps into soil. A brilliant partnership.
We did, however, hit a bump in the road one cool October evening. The temperatures dipped to below zero and the wormsters woke up to a frosty compost bin. When I looked out the window, I cried "The Wormsters!!!!".
"No!" followed Paul with equal disdain.
In our PJs we rushed outside to check on our beloved worms. They were huddled up in an avocado shell. (So cute ... for worms). They weren't very wriggly. And they were giving off an air of disappointment with us.
"We are terrible worm parents" I said to Paul, as we said goodbye to three of the Wormsters who failed to make it into the avocado shell for warmth that night. Their lifeless scaly bodies a sobering reminder of our responsibility to the worms. They had been working so hard for us and for the environment. And we let them down.
Weighed down by equal part guilt and environmental duty, we quickly made a place for the Wormsters inside. Their "winter home". Equivalent to the 80+ crowd's Florida. Nestled inbetween the back door and the kitty litter (we believe stinky things should stick together), the Wormsters have since forgiven us for our follies and are back to working day and night digesting our orange peels, onion skins, and the occasional avocado.
For information about worm composting in Vancouver, visit City Farmer
