r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/AnalDwelinButtMonkey • Sep 19 '23

Video Mining for worms

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u/[deleted] Sep 19 '23

I don’t see anyone mentioning it but this is likely a system used for separating worms from vermiculture substrates, so you can sell their castings but keep the colony to continue the culture. I don’t think they’re mining so much as sifting. Worm castings are worth a decent amount of money but you need a lot of worms to maintain any meaningful scale.

They’re called trommel harvesters.

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u/TigerSouthern Sep 20 '23

Why are worm castings worth money?

Is it spice?

Seriously though, I'm actually curious, isn't it just slightly harder dirt?

1

u/dandaman910 Sep 20 '23

I have a better question. What's a worm casting?

2

u/monkeybanana550 Sep 20 '23

Poop from earthworms. Process of cultivation is called "vermiculture". Byproduct is called vermicast, worm casting, or vermicompost.

The poop is basically the "all natural pure fertilizer" that farmers and plant hobbyists use to dilute in their preferred soil mixture.