This presentation was delivered as part of the Tribal Lands and Environment Forum: Virtual Gathering in August 2020 by Page Hingst from the Santee Sioux Nation in Nebraska and Carol Fletcher from the Organized Village of Kasaan in Alaska.
Worm composting, which is also known as vermicomposting, is a simple way to reduce household garbage and can be done almost anywhere. Worms can breakdown your garbage like scrap paper, cardboard, and food leaving behind a plethora of nutrients that puts any chemical fertilizer to shame. Furthermore, it reduces one’s reliance on landfills that are currently filling up too quickly. In this session, Page Hingst from the Santee Sioux Nation in Nebraska and Carol Fletcher from the Organized Village of Kasaan in Alaska, discuss their experiences raising worms and how they have used those worms to make a difference at their Tribes. Discussion will focus on the following: how to start a worm bin, what and how often to feed them, harvesting castings, making worm tea and substituting worm castings for chemical fertilizers.
