The Amazon flow-through worm bin was included as a stop on Sunday afternoon’s Lane County Compost Specialist’s Compost Crawl. The Compost Specialists offer their knowledge at various venues and their training is sponsored through Lane County Master Gardeners. Each year they select a handful of composting sites, both public and private, to visit and glean additional information. This year, the demonstration flow-through worm bin on East 25th between Onyx and University Streets was included in the crawl.

Our worm bin is now active and being used by the four nearest households. It was funded by a Neighborhood Matching Grant and neighbor contributors. Local finish carpenter Dan Parker handled the major modifications to the 3.5’ x 4’ x 5’ plastic shipping crate. These included hinging the lid, drilling through angle iron supports & bin in order to string the nylon rope, and creating a harvest chamber door.

The Masonic Cemetery has granted permission for siting the bin on its northern border in a leafy glade.

Each of the four households has received a data sheet for recording food scraps that are delivered to the bin. Other data will also be collected, such as amount of worm compost produced and any structural, functional, or vandalism issues. The bin is locked to prevent trash or pet waste from being added.

Educational signage and artwork will soon be installed, and a grand opening is planned for early fall. Should you like a tour of the bin or more information, email the link below.