Friday, April 20, 2012

The Worms Have Arrived

     The shipment of 2,000 red wiggler worms has arrived. The little squirmers are happily (I hope) in their new home, munching on some broccoli and watermelon rinds we had earlier this week. I also threw in some coffee grounds and banana peels. In 2-3 months, I have read, I will be ready to harvest the first batch of compost.
     Why am I messing around with vermi-composting?
     I was first inspired by a guy named Harland, the previous senior pastor I served with in Beaumont. He and his wife have had a worm-composting bin in their living room for several years now, to feed the thousand or so day lilies in their back yard.
     I am personally not an uber-green kind of guy. I am also not a major gardener or anything. I am trying my hand at composting with worms so that I can think more about the foods I eat. In short, I believe I can lead a healthier life if I eat less of the things that the worms can't eat (meats, cheeses, processed foods) and more of the things that they can eat (raw vegetables and fruits).
     If I accomplish only this goal, then it has been worth it.
     I also want to develop some type of deeper connection to creation. I have a dog and cat at home, and also a pet fish. We have a few plants, and hopefully some day will have a garden and some nice landscaping. But other than that, there is a whole lot of concrete ...
    Hopefully this whole composting thing will move me toward this deeper connection to the dirt.
    Lastly, I am working on helping families to cultivate new disciplines that can help them to think differently about living in a consumer culture. It could be composting, it could be recycling, it could be sponsoring a child through groups like World Vision. This is the focus of my final project for my doctor of ministry degree.
    So there you have it. I have 2,000 worms out in the garage hopefully doing there work. Away we go...
 

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