Growing Earthworms In Winter

European Night Crawlers - How To Grow Worms - Red Worms

Tips for Winter-Time Worm Farming

Since much of the country is now in a deep-freeze, it's  a good time to point out some cold weather precautions you should consider if you are growing worms.

If you're in milder winter areas:

• During cold weather, moisture in your bedding should be on the dry side
  Not dry, mind you. But dry-er.  Still adhere to the moisture level guidelines. Just lean to the dry side to make the bedding less cold.
• Make sure your bedding is deep enough.
  The deeper the bedding the more insulation from the cold, the longer it takes to freeze, and the more protected your worms will be from colder temperatures.
• When possible, have your worms in a sheltered area.
  The more protected your worms, the less damage.
• Feed less.
  If your worms aren't in a climate controlled building, they go dormant and eat much less.  To prevent "acid poisoning", don't overload the bed with more food than they will consume.

If you're in harsher winter areas:

• Frankly, you should have your worms in buildings or
• Mulched heavily to prevent the worms and bedding from freezing
• Follow the moisture and feeding recommendations from above

Worm Growing Tip

Worms go dormant when kept below 60 degrees. Worms maintained in temperatures in the low 70's remain active, breeding and growing.  So, if possible, keep your worms in temperatures that you enjoy.

Successful Worm Business Resources:

 There are many other worm growing tips as well as  how to set up your worm farm, how to grow earthworms,  and troubleshooting tips in my Worm Farm Manual: A Step-By-Step Guide To Raising Earthworms.  Order today and get started growing earthworms.

Other Worm Resources:

European Nightcrawlers:  One tough fishing worm. You could be the exclusive source in your area. Great composting worm

Worm Farm Manual: See what's in it. Just one tip can save you valuable time and money.

Selling Your Worms

European Night Crawlers - How To Grow Worms - Red Worms

Is Worm Farming Profitable? Part 5

(Click for Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4)

Continuing our series on the question: "Can I make money worm farming?" Is worm farming a profitable business?",  next on our Successful Business Basics Check-off List:

• Spend a whole lot of time on marketing and sales.

Sounds like a no-brainer, right?  But you'd be surprised.  That saying "Build it and they will come"  is a recipe for failure.  You need to get out there and beat a few bushes in the beginning to let folks know what you've got.  You may be the only worm grower in your area or you may be the only one offering the highly desirable European night crawlers, but if nobody knows about you they can't buy your product.  It's as simple as that.

Of course, you need to learn how to grow worms, how to feed them, what is the best bedding, and how to solve problems (better yet, how to keep them from happening), but do not neglect the salesmanship that is necessary for a successful business.

Eventually, you will be turning away business (yes, this is true).  Until that day arrives, work on finding the customers, finding wholesale accounts, and, at the very least, setting up contact and informational websites. Of course, in the beginning, don't take on more customers than you can service, especially large wholesale accounts.  As mentioned before, you don't wont to deplete your worm stock in the early stages of your business.

One approach is to set some customers up for a future date.  Let them know you have worms and when they'll be ready for delivery. Just make sure you have those worms when you say you will.  You can always buy them from another established grower to fill an order.  Always, always, keep your word and get promised orders filled, even if you take a loss.  It's better to lose money on one sale than to lose a customer for good.

So, as your worm stock increases in size, get out there and find customers and replace any lost customers on a continuing basis.  Visit bait shops, put up flyers, hand out cards, get "online", share on FaceBook and other social media.  Get the word out and "they will come".

 Successful Worm Business Resources:

 There are many other marketing and sales tips as well as  how to set up your worm farm, how to grow earthworms,  and troubleshooting tips in my Worm Farm Manual: A Step-By-Step Guide To Raising Earthworms.  Order today and get started growing earthworms.

Other Worm Resources:

European Nightcrawlers:  One tough fishing worm. You could be the exclusive source in your area. Great composting worm, too.

Worm Farm Manual: See what's in it. Just one tip can save you valuable time and money.

Successful Worm Farming

European Night Crawlers - How To Grow Worms - Red Worms

Is Worm Farming Profitable? Part 4

(Click for Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4)

Next in the series on the question: "Can I make money worm farming?" Is worm farming a profitable business?",  this post deals with #4 on our Successful Business Basics Check-off List:

• In your worm farm business plan, always, ALWAYS, over estimate your projected expenses and underestimate your projected income.

Blame it on human nature, but almost everyone, almost always, projects too little expenses and expects too much income in their start-up phase. Now, worm farming is special since, as compared to most home-based businesses, it has very low start-up costs and has a very high profitability potential.  But you should still apply the following strategy.

As a budding worm farmer, in making your business plan (and you are making one, right?) add about 30% to your projected expenses and subtract about 30% from your expected income.  That way, you have a cushion built into what you expect your outlays to be and how much money you require so you can hang in there until your worm farm reaches profitability.

As stated before, the #1 reason businesses fail is cash flow: too much going out and too little coming in, and not enough reserve to keep the business afloat until you get established.

By making this 30% adjustment to whatever figures you arrive at in you business plan, there'll be no unexpected surprises to throw a "hitch" into your worm farm "get-a-long".  I'm not saying you should accept your adjusted numbers as your stated goal or you should be satisfied with less profit.  I'm just saying, in planning your cash flow, use the adjusted projections to manage your money's so you stay solvent during the start-up phase of your worm farm business.

By all means, set your goal at X amount of profit and have a firm belief and faith that you will reach your goal.  Just manage your cash flow on the more conservative figures.  Should unexpected costs arise, or a sure fire sale goes awry, you'll be able to absorb any short falls.

I can't say it often enough (so say it with me), the #1 reason most businesses fail is because of what?  Cash Flow!  So, use this strategy and you're 90% assured of being a successful worm farmer.

 Successful Worm Business Resources:

 Get off to a good start with your worm farming business.  Learn how to set up your worm farm, how to grow earthworms, and other how-to's and troubleshooting tips in my Worm Farm Manual: A Step-By-Step Guide To Raising Earthworms.  Order today and get started growing earthworms.

Other Worm Resources:

European Nightcrawlers:  One tough fishing worm. You could be the exclusive source in your area. Great composting worm, too.
Worm Farm Manual: See what's in it. Just one tip can save you valuable time and money.

Making Your Worm Farm Successful

European Night Crawlers - How To Grow Worms - Red Worms

Is Worm Farming Profitable? Part 3

(Click for Part 1;  Part 2)

In my series on the question:,"Can I make money worm farming?" Is worm farming a profitable business?",  this post deals with #3 on our Successful Business Basics Check-off List:

• Keep costs low

As you're building cash flow from your worm farm business, managing your expenses is very important.

At first, more money is probably going out than is coming in. As we discussed in Part 2, you are holding onto your worms for breeding, therefore sales may  be negligible. (Good news!  I'll discuss a way to start making money right away in an upcoming post.) So, to be successful in the worm farming business (or any business, for that matter), it is vitally important to keep your costs and expenses down as much as possible.

Tips on Keeping Your Worm Business Costs Down

Below are some tips on keeping your worm farm business expenses low:

• Purchase items and equipment for your worm farm and office at wholesale, not retail, when possible. (Hint: Get a sales tax number. I'll show you how. You'll need one anyway to make sales.)
• Always buy used and shop for the best prices
• Always ask yourself when considering a purchase: "Can I do without this so-and-so or such-and-such for now, or do I have something on hand to 'make do' until later?"

Get the things you need to operate and grow your earthworm farm, but don't spend needlessly in the early stages of your business.  By keeping your expenditures at a minimum, you have a much better chance of surviving the "start-up" part of your worm farm business long enough to reach the "pay-off" part.

Successful Worm Business Resources:

Get off to a good start with your worm farming business.  Find other how-to's and troubleshooting tips in my Worm Farm Manual: A Step-By-Step Guide To Raising Earthworms.

Other Worm Resources:

European Nightcrawlers:  One tough fishing worm. You could be the exclusive source in your area. Great composting worm, too.

Worm Farm Manual: Order today and get started growing earthworms.

Worm Farming Successfully

European Night Crawlers - How To Grow Worms - Red Worms

Is Worm Farming Profitable, Part 2

(Click here for Part 1)
Continuing my answer to the questions: "Can I make money worm farming? Is worm farming a profitable business?" with number 2 on your Successful Basics List check-off list:

• Do you have enough cash flow to keep you going? 

(Artwork courtesy of Bill Monroe, Cartoonist)

Probably the #1 reason most businesses fail is lack of cash flow.  And the worm farming business is no exception.  It's going to take a little while before you have enough worms to sell, especially if you have limited funds in the beginning to stock your worm beds.

Compared to other home-based businesses, start up costs for the worm farming business is pretty low. However, you still need enough cash to

• Buy starter worm stock
• Build worm beds
• Buy worm bedding material
• Buy worm feed
• Buy some basic equipment and tools
• Maintain ongoing personal expenses and cost of living

Steps to Keep Worm Farming Business Startup Expenses Down

There are a number of steps you can take to keep your expenses down, helping to insure your worm farming business is a success:

• Keep labor cost down by doing most of the work yourself and/or enlisting family members.
• Build your worm beds out of salvaged materials or scavenge ready-made containers. (Make sure any worm bed materials are "worm friendly" as outlined in my Worm Farm Manual.)
• Find "free food" to grow your worms. (This cost saving step should be used continuously in your worm farm business and, again, make sure any worm feed adheres to my guide's worm food guidelines.)

Worm Farming Warning

Don't be tempted to sell off your worm stock until you've built up enough inventory.  The beauty of the worm farming business is that it's "sustainable", meaning the worms replace themselves and the business is self-perpetuating.  But you want to be breeding and hatching more worms than you are selling.  And the longer you let your worms reproduce themselves (especially if you had limited cash to stock your worms beds in the beginning), the quicker you'll build your worm stock and the more successful you worm farming business will be.

So, keep your costs low, hang on to your "day job" until your worm stock has grown sufficiently, and don't deplete your worm population (this warning holds true throughout your worm farming career).

Successful Worm Farming Resources:

Get off to a good start with your worm farming business.  Find other how-to's and troubleshooting tips in my Worm Farm Manual: A Step-By-Step Guide To Raising Earthworms.

Other Worm Resources:

Red Worms:  Grow the premier composting earthworm
European Nightcrawlers:  One tough fishing worm. You could be the exclusive source in your area.
Combo Worms:  Order red worms and European nightcrawlers together and save on shipping.
Worm Farm Manual: Order today and get started growing earthworms.

Is Worm Farming Profitable?

European Night Crawlers - How To Grow Worms - Red Worms

Worm Farming Questions

We receive many worm farming questions in emails and phone calls.  Here's a common one I'd liked to share with you in our Q&A post today:

Q: "Can I really make money worm farming? Is worm farming a profitable business?"

A: The short answer is "You bet!"  But, of course, with me, there's also a long answer.

Growing Worms For Profit

Worm farming can be excellent home-based business.  And you can make money raising earthworms.  Making a worm farm profitable is no different that any other home business.  Other than the aspects peculiar to worm farming, in order to make your worm farm successful you must follow the same basic requirements that make any business successful.

Successful Business Basics

Starting a business, any business, and making that business flourish requires that a few basics  fulfilled.  Check off this list tailored to worm farming from the beginning, and you are well on your way to success:

1. Answer this question: Is there a market for your worms?  As with any other product,  you should have a supply of customers in your area that are interested in purchasing your worms and worm castings/vermin-compost. The market for your worms consists of fishermen, vermicomposters, bait shops, reptile/fish/rabbit/etc. owners, and gardeners. 
   
   If you live in an urban area, you'll most likely require an online presence and ship your worms to customers.  The trend recently, however,  has shown even apartment dwellers and city-folks are becoming interested in vermicomposting (which you can do in a small tub in the laundry room) and container gardening. 
   
   The bottom line - find out if there's a market in your area or be prepared to sell online.

Next.... Step 2: Cash Flow

Profitable Worm Farming Resources:

Get off to a good start with your worm farming business.  Find other how-to's and troubleshooting tips in my Worm Farm Manual: A Step-By-Step Guide To Raising Earthworms.

Serious about raising worms for fishing, vermicomposting or reselling? Check out my "Worm Farm Manual" for more worm problems and their solutions. 

 

*Update:  This manual is currently on sale for 30% off on both the digital and hardcopy versions.  Hurry, sale ends 10.17.23!

Buy Now