worms turn word association game

[Jay Blair]

Lets try this game. We start with the word

Vermiculture, which is a interest coined term to refer to the study of earthworms and composting or bait raising etc.


Next person picks a worm study word beginning with an "E" since vermiculture ends in "e". they also post the definition of their word.

Then the next one uses the last letter of that word and the game goes on.

Lets see how many words and definitions we can come up with.

a little fun and we get to maybe learn new term meanings from each others definitions and research on the worm word.

Who's next with the letter "E" ?

[redhen]

The word is "epigeic". The worms we use in vermicomposting systems, like Eisenia fetida, are in the epigeic category. In nature epigeic worms live in the top soil and duff layer on the soil surface. These small, deeply pigmented worms have a poor burrowing ability, preferring instead an environment of loose organic litter or loose topsoil rich in organic matter deeper soils. Epigeic species feed in organic surface debris and have adapted beautifully to the rapidly shifting, dynamic environment of the soil surface.
We use epigeic worms because we can duplicate their ideal environment in a bin or bed, because they are voracious processors of organic debris, because they do well in high density culture, and because they are so very tolerant of a wide range of environmental conditions and fluctuations.

[Jay Blair]

"C" is my letter and my word is Calcium.

Its chemical symbol is Ca and its dictionary definition is:

"A silvery, moderately hard metallic element that constitutes approximately 3 percent of the earth's crust and is a basic component of most animals and plants. It occurs naturally in limestone, gypsum, and fluorite, and its compounds are used to make plaster, quicklime, Portland cement, and metallurgic and electronic materials. Atomic number 20; atomic weight 40.08; melting point 842 to 848°C; boiling point 1,487°C; specific gravity 1.55; valence 2."

In vermiculture and worm raising , its value lays in its acid reduction capabilities.

While small scale vermicomposters find pulverized eggshell or a sprinkling of powdered milk sufficient to lower bin acidity levels and one grower told me that she added calcium antacid tablets to her bin water, medium to large scale worm growers rely on agricultural lime to achieve the acid level reductions.

The calcium also contributes to a tougher skin on the worm , making them more desirable as bait that isn't as easily grab snatched without hooking the fish.

Next letter is "M"

[theinfamousj]

"M" is for Murine which is a word to describe mouselike creatures.

This is a loose association, but many of the people who are looking to compost and are giving serious consideration to vermicomposting are doing it because it can be done indoors and therefore they feel less victim to murine invasions of their compost pile.

Also, murine creatures, much like worms, do not actually do well with large amounts of cheese.

[Jay Blair]

"E" is for "earthworm". What the study of vermiculture and vermicompost evolve from and according to Mary Appelhof' definition "A segmented worm of the Phylum Annelida, most of whose 4400 species are terrestrial".

Don't know how fast I could run if I ever met up with an Extraterrestrial earthworm ;D

Of course , I know she was referring to soil dwelling and not water or air dwelling worms but that joke just popped in my head .

Oh brother, now my air dwelling worm remark just put a vision of a flying worm as fish bait. Think its time for me to go outside for a bit.

Next letter is "M" again

[tt]

mountain.
I have enough worms to make a small Mountain next letter N. They are in Mint condition they also Make lots of compost. The snow here has Melted and they are Munching down on lots of organic waste. Next letter is still N.
LoL

[Jay Blair]

tt said:

mountain.
I have enough worms to make a small Mountain next letter N. They are in Mint condition they also Make lots of compost. The snow here has Melted and they are Munching down on lots of organic waste. Next letter is still N.
LoL

"N" is for nightcrawler, which while not as effective as my Eisenia fetida stock for waste conversion , are great fish bait and taught me how to recycle an old soda cooler to raise them in Zone 8 in Texas in a controlled environment.

As a child my father taught me how to "fiddle" them to the surface with a sweet gum stake and a leaf spring slat from a car.

In later years I learned a chainsaw on a stump setting and running fiddled them to the surface if they burrowed around the stump and was easier than groan fiddling a sweet gum stake with a leaf spring slat.

Next letter is "R"

[jimmy2s83]

R is for Recycling. The act of extacting useful materials from waste. In worm farming you take old food waste and in turn the worms give you castings to fertilize plants to produce more food.

Next letter is "G"

[Jay Blair]

Green Business. This is one that uses environmental priority as its central axis around which all its operations revolve. While profitability is often limited, with use of worms and vermicomposting, high positive impact can be achieved with low overhead costs and often diverse coverage of benefit ranging from landfill reclamation and reduction to personal food production / budget reduction and from household beauty with vibrant plants to a relaxing day just fishing on a creek bank.

Next letter is "S"

[jimmy2s83]

S is for "Sanctuary"
A reserved area in which birds and other animals, especially wild animals, are protected from hunting or molestation.

When we farm worms we can place them in bins which become a safe area preventing them from being ate by birds or other predators.

Next letter is "Y"

[tt]

Yeast: Beneficial soil organisms that exist in healthy soils. Unicellular fungi which convert sugars to alcohol and carbon dioxide. Living yeast cultures are better for animal nutrition, the brewer’s yeast is dead and primarily used as a natural protein source.
Next letter T