The Worm Man BLOG
https://thewormman.com.au/the-worm-man-blog/
April 2021
Hi everyone 🙂
Wow – it’s been a LONG time since I last “blogged” anything !
(If you want to UNSUBSCRIBE from these blog posts/updates, there should be a link you can click toward the bottom of this article. If you cant work it out, drop me an email from the email address you want to have unsubscribed and ask me to remove your email.)
I will separate this post into two sections, WORKSHOP Updates and a general BLOG post.
WORKSHOP UPDATES:
NEW DATE For Workshop:
Worm Farming & Composting At Home Workshop
Saturday 24th APRIL 2021 – 9am to 12pm
At Northey Street City Farm (Windsor, Brisbane, Australia.)
Details & Tickets: www.TheWormMan.com.au/nscf
New Multi-Day Workshop UNDER DEVELOPMENT:
I am currently developing a larger Workshop.
It is to be delivered over 2 to 3 days but in all likelihood may not be conducted in 2021. There is just so much work to do to develop a good Workshop.
It will be conducted at Northey Street City Farm (Windsor, Brisbane, Australia.)
Possible subjects: worm farming, composting, anaerobic composting, bokashi, Lactobacillus Serum (LABS), soil theory & mixes etc.
(Make sure you are subscribed for updates on the website so you can be notified when this goes live. (Link at the bottom of this post.)
NEW – VIRTUAL/RECORDED Workshops:
If you can’t get to Brisbane, I have a VIRTUAL/RECORDED Workshop Available for HIRE or PURCHASE.
Check out the free intro video, which goes into worm species a little bit, to see how I deliver this content:
www.TheWormMan.com.au/virtual
General Updates / BLOG Post:
COVID:
WOW – COVID hit the business HARD.
On a positive note, no one I know caught the dang thing – but we worked HARD to be good.
We made our own cloth masks (washable/reusable) and used them when we were asked to, or it was wise to – and to this day I carry hand sanitiser in my pocket when I leave the house and use it regularly.
I lost MANY booked workshops, events and incursions.
This was particularly hard as I had spent between 1 and 2 years developing the event/activity side of the business to the point it was really getting some traction.
So I lost about a years worth of events and am just now starting to fill my calendar again.
On the positive side, I sold a lot more worms than I previously did and also worm castings sales benefited.
We DID have a nationwide worm shortage, so I had to breed all the worms I needed myself, rather than being able to buy extra in from one of my bulk suppliers to make up the difference.
And of course, COVID triggered me to work on other projects behind the scene, like making the VIRTUAL Workshop – a recorded, full workshop that people all across the world can access.
You can “Rent” or “Buy” the Workshop.
Details at www.TheWormMan.com.au/virtual
What NEW WORK Have I Been Doing In The Business?
NEW Students Resource Page:
I have created one easy page to connect students with most of the entry level stuff they usually want to know about.
If you want some FREE info about worm farming or composting, there are a LOT of resources there, at
www.TheWormMan.com.au/help
Workshops – Full Face To Face Workshops & Smaller “Intro” Workshops:
Well, I conduct Workshops, through third parties like Northey Street City Farm.
If you don’t know what that is, its a non profit community garden type of setup, with links back to the City Council.
They run LOTS of different workshops and basically employ me as a facilitator/contractor to conduct Workshops.
Then Northey Street and myself advertise them through social media posts etc.
At Northey Street, I conduct a full 3 hour Face-To-Face Workshop on Worm Farming & Composting At Home.
Details & Tickets: www.TheWormMan.com.au/nscf
Brisbane City Council Libraries – Short Workshops
I conduct short Workshops through the libraries programs.
These are not a “full workshop” – more of an introduction to worm farming, where I try to correct some of the most common mistakes, old wives tales etc.
Brisbane City Council – Master Composters Program
I am employed by the local City Council (BCC) to help them teach the Master Composters program. I took part in the first program as a trainer but also as a student.
I am now a BCC Certified Master Composter.
I teach Worm Farming & Black Soldier Fly Composting for the program.
The program sees volunteers undertaking 2 full days of training, then they go out into the local area and volunteer up to 20 hours work, in some sort of related area like composting or waste reduction. The students record their volunteer work in a log book and submit that for certification.
They could teach informal workshops at their local community garden or just help out at a garden project, turn compost piles, look after worm farms, help with waste reduction strategies.
The idea is that we are teaching people to teach, even if they only teach others by “doing the work”, others will learn by watching or helping.
Kids’ Fun & Educational Activities:
I supply kids’ educational activities for several large shows/expos like the Brisbane Garden & Plant Expo and the Gatton Grow Expo.
I am also a facilitator for local Council kids’ programs, like BCC Kid’s Collective.
I supply activities like “Make A Mini Worm Farm With Worms To Take Home”, “Grass Head Pets” or “Special Bug Investigation.”
I am currently designing a BRAND NEW kids activity to do with live worms and live insects, teaching kids about the value of the beneficial insects often thought to be “pests” in the worm farm or compost.
(Check out more about kids’ activities at www.TheWormMan.com.au/activity)
I also go into schools – and conduct incursions. “Incursions” are excursions that come to you.
Sometimes I will supply worms to restart failed worm farms, or new worm farms.
I find the kids REALLY LOVE worms and they also love ANY activity that is “hands on.”
They say it is easiest to teach the next generation and then they will teach mum, dad, grandpa & grandma.
NEW Students Resource Page:
Remember, if you want info about worm farming or composting, there are a LOT of resources on my new student resource page at
www.TheWormMan.com.au/help
Anyway, I better leave it there for now. I’ve got lots more to tell you-all, but I will have to send another update out in a month or so.
Thanks very much for reading my blog – and HAPPY WORM FARMING.
Regards,
Brian Donaldson
www.TheWormMan.com.au
For Further Info:
I have HEAPS of info on the new Students Resource Page at:
www.thewormman.com.au/help
You can subscribe to my blog/updates at:
https://thewormman.com.au/subscribe-to-the-worm-man-blog/
Remember – you can also “Ask Brian A Question” on the website at:
https://thewormman.com.au/ask-a-worm-question/The Worm Man BLOG
https://thewormman.com.au/the-worm-man-blog/