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Company in Racine, Wisconsin - 2006/03/06 17:39I am just in the very beginning stage of looking into worm farming. I have some information from a company in Racine, Wisconsin. They say that they will help you get set up, and coach you along the way. I'm not sure if I should give the company name on the forum, but I think they're big enough, some of you probably know who I am talking about. Does anyone know anything about this company, or their system/products?
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redhen
User A Protected Species Earthworm
Posts: 686
Re:Company in Racine, Wisconsin - 2006/03/07 10:38I am glad you pose this question before parting with your money. I do not know the specific business you are asking about. One thing I am thinking, is getting big equipment, videos, and great amounts of worms, should probably be the very last thing you should do. I would look around your area and see what/where your market might be. Start small. Get to know and understand how a system and worms work. Keep doing your research and ask lots of questions. Where there is money to be made, there are always those who will be happy to help you part with yours.Susan Quinby-Honer redhen@nc.rr.com Starve the Landfill...Feed the Earth.
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Worm Police
User A Mature Breeder Earthworm
Posts: 96
Re:Company in Racine, Wisconsin - 2006/03/07 11:29Hi, I have to agree with Redhen. Ask lots and lots of questions. Start small with just a few pounds of worms. And raise them until you know them. There have been scams in the past, causing people to part with large sums of money. They promise to buy back, but instead go out of business. After people have invested thousands.
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neuwirth
User A Hatchling Earthworm
Posts: 14
Re:Company in Racine, Wisconsin - 2006/03/07 11:34I appreciate the advice, and it makes sense to me. I will continue to do my due diligence. Is there any facility with this forum, or your organization, to locate people who might be doing this anywhere near me? I would be willing to pay a nominal amount for someone's time and for possibly a tour of what they are doing. I am in the Memphis, TN or Arkansas area. Thanks!
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neuwirth
User A Hatchling Earthworm
Posts: 14
Re:Company in Racine, Wisconsin - 2006/03/07 11:36I appreciate the advice, and it makes sense to me. I will continue to do my due diligence. Is there any facility with this forum, or your organization, to locate people who might be doing this anywhere near me? I would be willing to pay a nominal amount for someone's time and for possibly a tour of what they are doing. I am in the Memphis, TN or Arkansas area. Thanks!
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redhen
User A Protected Species Earthworm
Posts: 686
Re:Company in Racine, Wisconsin - 2006/03/07 13:52neuwirth...Look at the new "resources section" of these forums. There you can post about specific businesses you are looking for.Susan Quinby-Honer redhen@nc.rr.com Starve the Landfill...Feed the Earth.
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redhen
User A Protected Species Earthworm
Posts: 686
Re:Company in Racine, Wisconsin - 2006/03/07 21:52I have this posted somewhere on this forum. This is a very good manual for those new to vermiculture/vermicomposting. Bookmark it and read in your own time. http://www.oacc.info/DOCs/Vermiculture_FarmersManual_gm.pdfSusan Quinby-Honer redhen@nc.rr.com Starve the Landfill...Feed the Earth.
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WFike
User A Protected Species Earthworm
Posts: 224
Re:Company in Racine, Wisconsin - 2006/05/21 22:36All good advice above. The last thing you need to do is spend a bunch of money up front as most newbys kill their first few batches of worms. Most from overfeeding and then there is the day you go out to check on them and find out that they all left last night! (from a front coming through of all things) It is a lot of fun though! I have just started getting back into it. I was in retail end of it for about 10 years. I started up about 3 months ago with 10 lbs. of red wigglers from Trinity. I use horse manure and sawdust shavings and have had good luck so far. I have stocked 23 more beds with a lb. of worms ea. from those 10lbs. that i started with in that short 10 weeks. There is still way more than 10 lbs. in the original bed. They are breeding like crazy! Good luck!
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glowery
User A Protected Species Earthworm
Posts: 127
Re:Company in Racine, Wisconsin - 2006/06/04 09:21I too had contacted the same company in Racine, but when I saw the investment they wanted you to make even for the smallest shipment, I decided that was not the route I wanted to take. I just could not see laying out 1600.00 for something I did not even know for sure that I could keep up with or would want to continue to do.
Instead when I started I bought 5 pounds of worms (ENCs) from Bob Ingram, with shipping it was just a wee bit over 100.00. I bought 2 18 gallon plastic totes from Wal-Mart that I know were not over 10.00 each, but I will use that as a guesstimate. I purchased 10 bundles of old newspapers (to use as bedding) from out local newspaper for a cost of 5.00 and (.50 per bundle) I have only used two or three bundles thus far. I bought 10 lbs of the cheapest cornmeal I could find. I know it was no more than 4.00 if that much, but I will use that figure. For the rest of the feeding I have just been using table scraps and left overs. So to get started this way I spent maybe a 130.00, that is a far cry from 1600.00 don't ya think?
I am not saying one bad thing about that company, I just was not going to spend that amount of money not knowing the ins and outs of raising worms, if there was going to be any kind of monetary return on my investment, or if I was even going to like raising the worms once I got started.
For some on this forum, raising worms is a business, for me and probabaly several others, if not the majority it is a hobby that we may be able to make a small income from once our worms populate enough to do so, and for others it is really an an environmental issue, a way to keep so much garbage from filling up landfills.
No matter the reason for wanting to raise worms, there is an affordable way to do it for anyone that is intersted. By purchasing your worms from growers on this forum, you can can start as small as you want, or as large as you want, and you have this forum where worm farmers from all over the country come together to share information and advice and that is priceless.
GlendaGlenda
I always wanted to be somebody; I guess I should have been more specific.
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neuwirth
User A Hatchling Earthworm
Posts: 14
Re:Company in Racine, Wisconsin - 2006/06/05 10:36Again, I thank everyone for the replies. I think I have decided to NOT do business with them. It's not that I think they are dishonest, or a scam, it's just that I don't need to invest that much right at the start, as glowery said. I will soon be posting all of my questions about bins, bedding, etc. Again, thanks!
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Kyle
User A Protected Species Earthworm
Posts: 107
Re:Company in Racine, Wisconsin - 2007/04/15 14:34the current cost is as follows. I try to keep an open mind so i sent away for the video and book from unco.
I just got this last week. If I send them a check by 5/14 the total would be $4240.00.
2590 for the consulting fee. 1650 for the smallest pkg.
Wow. Thats a bit much.
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redhen
User A Protected Species Earthworm
Posts: 686
Re:Company in Racine, Wisconsin - 2007/04/15 22:11Wow. Thats a bit much. Nuff said, I would suppose.Susan Quinby-Honer redhen@nc.rr.com Starve the Landfill...Feed the Earth.
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