POSTCARD FROM AFRICA-- WORMS IN A KFC BUCKET

To be clear, the worms were not in the food. It’s the bucket the food came in that became a vessel for the worms.

 One of the most important parts of growing food at Orchard: Africa is the worms. Long, red, wiggly worms are like gold to us. They eat discarded scraps of leaves and whole foods and turn it into the world’s best organic fertilizer.  From the poop (yes, we said it) of hundreds of worms, a “tea” is made. Not for us to drink of course, but to pour into the soil where our vegetables grow. This worm tea is what makes the soil rich in nutrients that the plants absorb and transfer into the food that we grow.

 To successfully grow vegetables, we start with a worm farm. Growing a worm farm is not difficult (they multiply faster than rabbits), but there are some techniques to learn. This learning takes place at our Impact Centers on a regular basis. This past month, a group of eager learner-gardeners gathered in the Northwest province of South Africa to learn the art of worm farming. This is where the KFC bucket came in. Instead of a family meal, the learners got to take a worm bucket home – their starter kit from which to breed hundreds of worm babies that will help their gardens grow.  (Also, they had KFC for lunch.)

 Isn’t it fun to know that your support provides worms? We love it and love that you are on this wiggly journey with us.