We would like to purchase a 5 Tray worm composter.
Our kids drink a lot of fresh squeezed fruit/vegatable juices and we would
like to do something about all the compostable waste we generate.
What should we consider when starting the project? My kids (4 and 6) cannot
wait to have their own compost factory and their own army of worms.
We will have also some backayard waste to use as well. I did some reading
online but I am not sure if worms will be the best choice.
Hi Pawel,
Some considerations:
1. Kids LOVE worms…no doubt about it. Can you think of a better way to teach children about reducing their carbon footprint? Teaching kids about worms is a great hobby/science project. Plus, worms are quieter and need less attention than a dog or a cat. 
2. Vermicompost (Black Gold – Worm processed material), is FAR superior to regular compost due to the beneficial bacteria and microorganisms in the worms gut. Google “Worm Casts” and see all the amazing things people have to say about this stuff!
3. I’m going to take a wild guess here, and I’ll bet many of the juices your children drink are citrus based? Worms are not effecive at processing large amounts of citrus. Orange, grapefruit and other citrus peels are pretty strong stuff. Composting worms prefer sweet to neutral scraps. It’s not that they would not process the peel, but most worm bins are too small for the worms to get away from the citrus until the bacteria breaks it down.
4. Worms should not be the primary processors of backyard waste.
Kitchen waste-Think Composting Worms
Backyard waste-Think Compost Pile
To effectively manage both your yard waste AND kitchen waste, you really need both a compost pile AND a worm bin.
Remember, when your yard waste breaks down, it is usually loaded with nitrogen materials. The potential is great that it will heat up at some point. You wouldn’t want your poor worms subject to this much heat.
The Combination Solution:
Processing Yard Waste: If you are time deficient, or simply lazy (Like me) 
you can just start an outdoor compost pile using the “Add as you go method”. Basically, just make a pile of your yard clippings, add some carbon based material like leaves or straw, a little moisture, and it will breakdown by itself over time. You can add citrus peels, and other things you may not want in your worm bin here.
Processing Kitchen Waste: Estimate the amount of scraps that your family produces, and get the appropriate amount of worms to process the material. Setting up a worm bin is simple if you receive some good advice(Hint, Hint-I can help you here). Plus, the worms require only minutes per week of your attention! You’ll have a hands on science project for your children and have the nicest garden in the neighborhood once you add the vermicompost to your plants!
