The Worm Farm Turning Waste into Food
They say one man’s trash is another’s treasure and for Zach Brooks, much of our food waste is gold. While in the middle of his second master’s degree at Arizona State University, Zach had a vision to turn garbage into food. In 2017, he acquired 10 acres in South Phoenix and transformed it into the Arizona Worm Farm.
The Circular Process
At Arizona Worm Farm, it’s no surprise that Red Wiggler Worms are the stars of the show. With the help of Black Soldier flies and hot compost piles, these worms turn waste into gardening products, soil amendments, and produce. Zach’s vision of creating a sustainable family-owned farm in Phoenix is part of his moral obligation to shape a better world for the future. “I don’t want to leave cleaning up the mess to the young guys,” Zach said. “I want to be a part of the solution.”
His work with Arizona Worm Farm is part of that solution. As food goes to the landfill and decays, it produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The critters at Arizona Worm Farm are an innovative way to divert organic scraps from the landfills, therefore reducing the amount of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere and mitigating the effects of climate change.
At the heart of nutritious food is nutritious soil, and this urban farm is centered around soil improvement for sustainability. Through their Waste-to-Nutrient circular process, the farm offers soil amendment products and compost, mix, and mulch that are especially made for Southwest gardens.
Each week, local partners around the Valley supply the AZ Worm Farm with 160 cubic yards of food waste, horse manure, and landscape scraps to use as composting materials. Zach layers and moistens the waste, which becomes a perfect breeding ground for microbes. The microbes eat away at the organic material, allowing them to reproduce rapidly which heats up the compost. After about two to three weeks and three heat cycles, the compost reaches 150 degrees and is left to slowly cool for six months so that it can be used to feed the Red Wiggler worms. The freshly cured compost is mixed with mulch to create the “Worm Wedge.” The wedge is home to these wrigglers for about four to six months, supplying them with all the necessary nutrients to thrive.
Over the months, the worms migrate to the front of the wedge feasting on organic material and producing worm castings, or excrement, in the process. These castings are the perfect nutrients for the soil to support the growth of fruits and vegetables on the farm. The farm’s goal is to generate soil that is able to support local food production– enough to feed its 11 employees and donate any excess to local food banks.
In addition to creating worm castings, Zach also breeds Black Soldier Fly Larvae to divert food waste from the landfills and provide feed for the chickens that he raises. Zach started breeding these larvae because they eat things faster than the Red Wigglers and will also eat food scraps that the worms don’t typically eat. The larvae eat 50 times their body weight in food waste!
Not only are they an innovative approach to food waste diversion, they are also the perfect feed for the farm’s chickens as they are 40% protein and 10% fat. Using Black Soldier Fly Larvae as natural chicken feed allows the farm to produce top-of-the-line, protein-rich eggs in only 16 days. Zach mentioned using Black Soldier Flies as composters is a tactic to “turn a problem for the city into an asset for his farm.”
Educating the Community
Zach wants to spread his vision to the community. He sells compost, Red Wiggler worms, soil mix, seed starts, mulch, and compost tea sprays to help Phoenix residents jumpstart their own sustainable backyard food production. Farm experts at the farm also host gardening classes three to six times a week on site. In these classes, novice gardeners can learn soil management techniques, composting practices, and organic pest control. The farm prioritizes educating the public so they can accomplish successful, sustainable, zero-waste gardens and contribute to creating a more resilient food system that isn’t dependent on fossil fuels.
Working With Nature
While others might use chemical fertilizers to supplement the soil, Zach works with nature and its time-tested solutions to develop long-term soil health. Because of the practices and principles that the farm implements, tilling and synthetic inputs are not needed. AZ Worm Farm shows that when you follow nature’s design, you can create soil that is bursting with biology.
Check out this video to learn more about Arizona Worm Farm.