Vermicomposting Field Day: Turn Waste into Living Soil

Saturday, September 26th | 3:00 PM – 5:30 PM - EarthDance Farm from 1:00 PM - 2:15 PM

Feed the People Garden Project (St. Louis, MO)

What to Expect at the Workshop

Are you a gardener, farmer, or sustainability enthusiast looking for natural ways to nourish your plants, feed your soil, and divert waste from landfills?

Join Food Works and Ro of Ro's Wigglers for an immersive tour of the Feed the People Garden Project in St. Louis. Ro’s journey into vermicomposting began in a local community garden, where they discovered the game-changing power of healthy living soil. The results from utilizing worm castings and worm casting tea were so profound that Ro founded Ro's Wigglers in 2023. Now, they are dedicated to helping others unlock the massive benefits of working with worms.

Ro’s journey into vermicomposting began through their work with the Feed the People Garden Project, a local community garden rooted in healthy food access and sustainable growing practices. While managing a 1/3-acre farm, Ro saw firsthand how powerful worm castings and worm casting tea could be for building healthy, living soil and supporting productive plants.

Inspired by those results, Ro founded Ro’s Wigglers in 2023 to help others discover the benefits of vermicomposting. Through education, hands-on learning, and community-based soil stewardship, Ro now shares practical ways that gardeners, farmers, and growers of all scales can work with worms to turn organic waste into rich, living compost.

Before we head to Ro's, we will be making a stop at EarthDance Farm for a lovely farm tour and picnic!

Key Details:

Cost: Free/Donation
Registration Required
Please bring water, closed-toed shoes, and weather-appropriate outdoor clothing.
Language Support: Spanish translation services available upon request (please indicate on your registration form).

Driving Yourself?

Parking near the garden is limited. A parking lot at Walsh and Morganford is typically available, but we encourage attendees to carpool whenever possible to help make space for everyone.

Ride with Food Works!

Food Works will provide van transportation from Carbondale, Illinois, for attendees who reserve a seat in advance. Space is limited (there are only 12 spots), so be sure to claim your spot early by selecting this option when registering.

What We Will Cover

Outdoor Worm Systems: Tour the garden and examine the outdoor setups Ro built to generate high-grade worm castings.
Scalable Soil Health: Learn how to utilize worms on both small and large scales to drastically improve your crop yields with very little financial overhead.
Hands-On Harvesting: Participate in an interactive session demonstrating exactly how to feed worm systems and cleanly harvest castings for immediate use.

Important Logistics & Free Transportation

Event Location: Feed the People Garden Project, 3964 Walsh Street, St. Louis, MO 63116. Note: A typically empty parking lot is available at Walsh and Morganford. Please try to carpool, as space is limited.

Schedule

10:30 am: depart Carbondale
12:30 pm: Arrive at EarthDance Farm + Picnic Lunch
1:00pm- 2:15pm: Tour of EarthDance Farm
1:15pm-3:00pm: Drive to Feed the People Community Garden
3-5pm: Vermicomposting Workshop
5-7pm: Drive back to Carbondale

Free Ride & Dinner from Carbondale: Don't want to make the drive alone? Food Works is providing free passenger van transportation departing from Carbondale, IL!

Departure: 10:30 PM sharp from the Illinois Small Business Incubator parking lot (1140 Innovation Drive, Carbondale, IL). Free vehicle parking is available at the incubator.
Return: We will arrive back in Carbondale by 7:00 PM.
Perk: Dinner will be provided complimentary for everyone riding in the van!

Van space is strictly limited (there are only 12 spots). Please ensure you select the transportation option when filling out your registration form.

Vermicomposting Field Day Registration

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Accessibility & Language Support

I require Spanish translation services for this event.

Please check this box if you require Spanish translation services. If you have already submitted your registration and forgot to request this, or if you require assistance in another language, please reach out to our Farmer Services Director at ellen@fwsoil.org as soon as possible so we can accommodate your needs.

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Transportation to St. Louis(Required)

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Van space is strictly limited to 12 passengers. To ensure all available seats are used, a temporary deposit is required to hold your spot. This deposit is fully refunded upon arrival at the event.

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Important Van Reservation & Refund Policy:

Your deposit secures your seat and complimentary dinner. Because we only have 12 spots available, if your plans change and you need to cancel, please notify us immediately by emailing ellen@fwsoil.org. Prompt cancellations allow us to open the transportation opportunity to other community members on our waiting list. Your deposit is fully refundable upon attendance.

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