It All Started With The Broccoli
In 2009, I had no idea what worm castings were about. But I needed to find out if I was considering becoming a Worm Farmer! So I set up a small worm bin with food scraps and horse manure and, of course, some worms.
What happened a few weeks later was a complete surprise. The worms had transformed their food and bedding into this dark, crumbly, earthy-scented, rich soil! There was no sign of food or manure in sight! Whoa...what the heck had just happened?
I used some of this material when transplanting a few broccoli plants. Unfortunately, as I would soon learn, I didn't have enough for the whole garden.
Now we had to wait another few weeks before we would really know what worm castings did to soil and growing food.
Watching the broccoli develop and grow was really fun! There were no bugs (everyone complains about aphids!) - there were no brown or yellowing leaves. It even smelled good! Another observation: I was using a lot less water AND fertilizer than I was on the rest of the garden.
We could hardly wait for harvest. There was something very different about this broccoli compared to the rest of the vegetable we grew.
It was time...I cut a few large florets, rinsed them off and took a bite.
Me: "JAC!!" I yelled down the hall. (Yes, his name has no "k")
Jac (husband): "WHAT'S WRONG?!" As he raced down the hall from the bathroom...wrapping a towel around waist...
I held a piece of broccoli to his face, he grinned and opened his mouth.
He had the same reaction I did. Eyes wide, huge smile..."We grew this! It's amazing!!"
The broccoli never made it to the salad. We stood at the kitchen counter and ate every last bit of it!
I never grew my own food...maybe a tomato or 2 over the years. That never went well. I worked away from home for years. Friends and family were continually struggling with gardening issues and constant whining - bugs, disease, ugly leaves that meant something bad was happening, spongy squash or pithy, dry, tasteless fruit. Growing your own food must be really difficult, so I thought.
I wouldn't know for awhile, but nothing could be further from the truth.
It was time to find out why growing this broccoli was so easy, what worm castings were really all about and if there really was a profitable business opportunity here.
The journey began and I've never looked back.
I BELIEVE SUCCESS IS POSSIBLE FOR YOU, EVEN IF YOU DON'T THINK SO.
WHY?
BECAUSE IF I CAN DO IT, SO CAN YOU
- There are people in every community that need product and education; they need you!
- There are entrepreneurs in every community that can benefit from this experience
- I know people are willing and able to pay for a product that delivers
- You have what it takes…all you need is the Success Blueprint
- You know more than you think you know…you just need to prove it to yourself
- I believe if your desire to help others is strong, all you lack is the tools
- This new idea might be for you. Leverage your expertise into a rewarding field full of promise
- I believe the potential of this industry is untapped
- I believe the consumer will insist that this industry thrive
- I believe the timing for this business opportunity should not be ignored and will be consumer driven
- I believe there is a bigger need than we all may realize
I Do Not Come From An Agriculture Background
As a kid, I dreamt about being in the hair and makeup business. I earned a scholarship to trade school, competed in exotic styling and makeup and attended all the courses I could afford. I became friends with the most famous stylists and educators in the world. I was on the fast track to the top of my field. Every day I couldn’t wait to get to the salon.
It wasn't long before I developed severe allergies to the salon chemicals. Options proved useless…my dream life was over…
Career hopping became my way of life. There was a short time of specializing in wedding makeup. That was fun...brides are so happy and full of anticipation. They were fun to be around. The competition was brutal.
Next was corporate career Image Consulting. Make 'em look fabulous and successful. The right colors, apparel style to fit their personality...climb that corporate ladder! Casual Fridays turned into casual everything. Now we wear jeans and t-shirts or even pajamas!
OK, let's be a Real Estate Broker! Selling houses was not my thing...so I found resort real estate...now that was fun! Palm Springs, Tahoe, Maui. International clients, airplanes, hotels. That dried up in a few years too and the suitcase life got old. What the heck was I going to do NEXT?
2007
Managing our building contractor business was not my calling. I knew that when I took the job after Jac and I were married in 2000. But it paid the bills and Jac had a very loyal customer base. We were never out of work. But as regulations and the market changed, and bodily wear and tear began to take its toll, an exit strategy was imminent. We would both be out of a job. And I'm not the "retired" type.
A box of little paperback books showed up at my door one day – “Profitable Earth Worm Farming”, “Earthworm Feeds & Feeding”, The Worm Farm, Earthworm Selling & Shipping, and more…all written in the 1960s.
Bless my sister’s heart, she had done her research, bought some books and shipped them to me. She felt strongly that there was big promise in worm farming and the production of vermicompost. "Organic farming is going to take over conventional, industrial farming...it's the next big thing!" she told me.
We skated through the housing crash of 2008. There were no signs our business would be negatively impacted, but I knew better. I’ve been a licensed real estate broker for a long time – the writing was on the wall. It was time to get serious about this worm business...my previous ecommerce business attempts had failed miserably.
My own research on the subject left me confused and frustrated. Inconsistency everywhere. Luckily, I found a vermiculture conference held at NCSU. An entire 2 days spent talking about worms? So I started my own little worm bin to decide if I even liked these little critters and bought a conference ticket.
2009
2010
Worms were getting under my skin...they were incredible little critters! I traveled the state and country looking at the various methods of producing vermicompost. I decided on the Continuous Flow Through Technology, had a barn built and installed the first CFT. Black Diamond VermiCompost was established.
Invited to present at the Annual Vermiculture Conference, NCSU. I titled my presentation "So You Want To Be A Worm Farmer" -- too bad it wasn't recorded! It was pretty darn good!
2018
TODAY
CHANGING LIVES
The prospects are bright for the future. We are touching more lives than ever and the movement toward growing our own food is gaining strength. Join Us!
Community
Family
Education
Here's an interview with a well-known promoter of vermicomposting. It happened in 2010. I originally named my business SLO County Worm Farm. (SLO is San Luis Obispo). After a handful of people said "I didn't know our County operated a worm farm!", I knew I needed a name change.
