🪱 Earthworm and Vermicompost Farming: Doctor of the Earth, Friend of the Farmer

🔰 Introduction

When we talk about the fertility of the field, the first words that come to our mind are chemical fertilizers or urea. But do you know that there is a creature that makes the soil so fertile without any machine or chemical that both the yield and quality of the crop increase?

That creature is – earthworm, which is called the true friend of the farmer. The earthworm not only improves the soil but also prepares organic fertilizer called Vermicompost, which has become as valuable as gold in today’s time.

🧬 What is an earthworm?

The earthworm is a soft-bodied, spineless creature that is mostly found in the soil.

It lives a shared life – that is, it is beneficial for the soil as well as for the field.

Its length can be from 4 to 15 centimeters and it keeps digging and eating the soil throughout the day.

🌱 What is vermicompost?

Vermicompost is a type of organic fertilizer that is prepared after earthworms eat and digest cow dung, dry leaves and organic waste.

This compost is like nectar for the soil because it contains plenty of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and microbes.

🔬 How is vermicompost made? (Step-by-Step Process)

Required materials:

Fresh or rotten cow dung

Dry leaves, kitchen waste, vegetable peels

Earthworms (Red Wigglers – Eisenia fetida)

Water, shady place, plastic sheet or vermicompost tank

Process of making:

1. Make a compost layer of 1-2 feet height on the ground in a shady place.
2. First add dry leaves, then cow dung, and then organic waste layer by layer.
3. Add earthworms in these layers (1 kg of earthworms can compost 1 ton of waste).
4. Maintain moisture (up to 40–60%), but do not let the water get filled.
5. Stir every 2–3 days and vermicompost is ready in 30–45 days.
6. Filter the prepared compost and pack it. 🧪 Nutrients of Vermi Compost

Nutrient content (approx.)

Nitrogen (N) 1.5 – 2%
Phosphorus (P) 1 – 1.5%
Potassium (K) 0.5 – 1.2%
High amount of carbon
Abundance of microorganisms

🌾 Benefits of earthworm farming

✅ 1. Makes the soil fertile

The earthworm digs the soil and makes it airy and soft, due to which the roots of the crop spread easily.

✅ 2. Increases crop quality and production

Vermi compost provides balanced nutrients to the plants, making them healthy, green and fruitful.

✅ 3. No need for chemical fertilizers

Vermi compost provides all the nutrients to the soil, which reduces dependence on chemicals.

✅ 4. Less expense, more profit

Vermi compost prepared at low cost has become a good business for farmers.

🧑‍🌾 Story of a farmer – “Gold from soil”

Farmer Shivpal Singh of Rewa district of Madhya Pradesh used to do chemical farming earlier. The cost of the crop was increasing but the yield was decreasing. In 2020, he started making vermicompost by taking dung of 2 cows.

Today he has 20 vermicompost beds, earns more than ₹ 5 lakh annually, and he is now teaching nearby villages to make vermicompost for free.

💰 How to earn from vermicompost?

Source Selling Rate (Approximate)

Vermi Compost (Loose) ₹6 – ₹10 per kg
Vermi Compost (Packed) ₹10 – ₹25 per kg
Earthworm (For Breeding) ₹300 – ₹800 per kg
Vermi Unit Training ₹500 – ₹2000 per person

👉 It is in great demand in online platforms, agricultural fairs, and nurseries.

🔧 Tools Required

Vermi Tank / Vermi Bed

Water Spray Bottle

Sieve (For Filtering)

Packing Bag and Branding Label

Weighing Machine

✅ Conclusion

Earthworm is a small creature but its work is big.

It not only frees the farmer from chemicals but also makes farming a profitable deal.

Today’s aware farmer, by adopting earthworm farming, earns money and also saves the soil.

A voice from the soil to the world — World Farmer Story | Founder Neel