This is NOT another Earth Day article about composting! This is a story about a Field & Garden experiment in permaculture that changed my life and taught me more about becoming interconnected with my home as an ecosystem—with great benefit to my health. 

Definition: Permaculture, a portmanteau of "permanent" and "agriculture," is a design system that mimics the patterns and relationships found in nature.

It was a pleasant day in February when I turned my 96 gallon and 45 gallon “compost bins” over into the grass. My winter’s compost was a messy sludge of maggot-infested pumpkin chunks, algae-ridden roots, some grass clippings, and a few wet boxes that didn’t decompose. This is supposed to save the Earth? I thought, dry heaving as I used a pitch fork to throw it back into the bin. I looked down at my fingers, blue turning black quickly, and felt the intense stinging pain in my toes from an auto-immune related issue triggered by the cold (even though it was in the mid-60s outside). 

Something clicked. I’d been learning more about gut health to promote a healthier immune system in hopes of healing the symptoms of my Reynaud’s, an autoimmune disorder that makes me painfully unable to withstand even moderately cool temperatures. Composting and gut health may seem like unrelated concepts at first glance, but they share interesting similarities in terms of their impact on ecosystems. 

Composting enhances soil health and can contribute to plant resilience against diseases; a balanced and diverse gut microbiota does the same for the human body. Healthier microbial activity, nutrient cycling, balancing PH levels, the fermentation process—it all starts with the correct inputs into the system. It’s like the saying goes: garbage in, garbage out. 

My winter’s compost was an unbalanced, waterlogged mix. The levels were off, so the components weren’t decomposing. To course correct, we needed to first aerate by drilling about 100 holes into each bin, then create a mix of green (nitrogen-rich) and brown (carbon-rich) materials, then call for reinforcements of the creepy crawly variety.

We enlisted the help of 1000 red wiggler worms and 50 black soldier fly larvae. (You really can find anything on Amazon!) They arrived, tiny, thirsty, and ready to work.

After a month of turning the compost pile weekly and studying our garden friends, here’s what I’ve noticed: 

The BSF larvae bin has no flies near it. BSF larvae are effective at deterring common house flies—they reduce odor and their voracious movement keeps other larvae away.

• Some BSF larvae will wriggle out of the holes, while the worms stay put. I’ve raised BSF larvae before, and they miraculously return and repopulate. So, no worries if they do escape. BSF larvae turn from golden colored to black and then the adult flies fly away. 

• BSF adults do not have mouths—their primary goal of adulthood is to reproduce, not feed. They do not harbor or transmit harmful microorganisms.

• The worm bin has significant action in it–the compost looks like black gold. The worms have tripled in size and are feeding near the middle of the bin.

• The BSF bin needed more than 50 larvae for a more impactful month of work. 250 would have been the right amount for a 45 gallon bin. 

My experiment was a huge success. I witnessed firsthand the transformative power of red wiggler worms and black soldier flies in converting waste into a nutrient-rich elixir for the soil. 

It has been said that the garden mimics one’s life. My compost is now healthy and thriving, as I continue making positive changes in my diet to heal my immune system. Healthy lawns with clovers and various meadow flowers, regenerative farming practices, composting, and creating interior “jungalows” filled with plants are just good for you all around. Good luck to you on your continued journey to thrive. Remember, permaculture is a way of life, not just an Earth Day wish. Now go give some red wigglers and BSF larvae a chance!

Things to know before attempting Vermiculture (that’s worm farming):

• They thrive in 55-77F temperatures and will wriggle their way towards darkness

• Find a shady area in the yard for them

• Worms and BSF larvae don’t want to be in the same compost bin. 

• BSF larvae thrive in warmer conditions.

Check out Uncle Jim’s Worm Farm on Amazon and Black Soldier Fly Larvae at FlukerFarms.com. Josh Fluker and LSU researchers are on the cutting edge of a worldwide initiative to help eliminate global food waste through these amazing insects.

DO:

• Keep your compost consistently moist, similar to a wrung out sponge. 

• Drill holes into the top, bottom, and sides of the bin—oxygen is good for compost.

DON’T:

• Waterlog your bins–that will create an anaerobic environment similar to a swamp or landfill—it will stank to the highest level and kill all of the good things in the compost bin. 

• Compost orange peels–they’re harmful to worms. 

Like anything, the definition of garbage is not black and white–it’s more brown and green. Composting wisdom says to create a mix of green (nitrogen-rich) and brown (carbon-rich) materials. 

• Green materials include kitchen scraps like fruit and vegetable peels, while brown materials include leaves, newspaper, and even boxes. Tear up the boxes into 7” scraps or smaller–just recycle the wax covered ones.

• Avoid meat, dairy, oily foods, chemicals, pet waste, herbicides/pesticides, and poor drainage, as these things will disrupt the composting process. Pro tip: Use citrus scraps to sprinkle around the garden to keep pests away