Vermiculture Farmer Trains Team in Raising Earthworms

In July 2024, Billy Mitchell, a PhD student studying food science with the University of Georgia, served as a first-time volunteer through Agricultural Leaders of Tomorrow (ALOFT) regional Farmer-to-Farmer program for Southeast Asia, implemented by the University of Tennessee’s Smith Center for International Sustainable Agriculture. ??

Billy’s assignment was to help develop the CE SAIN Mondulkiri Agricultural Tech Park’s staff in Cambodia with knowledge and skills in vermicompost production. Billy saw that while the cost of entry into vermicomposting is very high, so is the interest. He began each day covering topics such as worm taxonomy, anatomy, life cycle, light, moisture, and soil in the classroom. Then as the workshop moved outside for hands-on application, the team built vermicompost bins and fed the worms.??

The following Monday, Billy and the team returned to the bins to look for cocoons, which showed that the worms were thriving.

“I will never forget when the [staff] found the first cocoons in the worm bins they had built. [This was] one of the best moments I have had as an educator!” he said.??

Before Billy’s assignment, the host organization was familiar with some vermicomposting practices, but they were missing key techniques, particularly in raising earthworms. Even Billy wasn’t sure things would work smoothly. He was prepared to troubleshoot if the bins didn’t succeed immediately. He said he can relate to the challenges facing the Cambodian team. “I was a small-scale farmer before I began teaching and have worked alongside many limited resource, small scale farmers in the U.S. who often face similar challenges as the farmers in Cambodia.”??

Billy hopes to see the Mondulkiri Agricultural Technology Park create a comprehensive plan for growing their vermicomposting efforts while teaching and supporting local farmers. In an effort to support this plan, Billy worked with the team to produce a site-specific manual for vermicomposting. The team will use the manual and prototypes Billy helped create to demonstrate vermiculture to other farmers and local high school students in their network and as a source of compost for vegetable production.??

After the training, the team quickly adopted four of Billy’s recommendations to sustain the work. They have observed a significant increase in earthworm populations and plan to build more compost bins. Additionally, the team shared their knowledge of vermicomposting with the larger Technology Park team of 16 members, including six females.?

Billy is ALOFT’s Farmer-to-Farmer Volunteer of the Year for 2024. ?

Morgan Owens, ALOFT Farmer-to-Farmer Volunteer Coordinator, said that Billy was chosen for several reasons. “He traveled to a rural community and easily adapted to the new environment while remaining open-minded to the culture and people. Even with the limited resources of a rural community, Billy was flexible and was committed to ensuring long-term success. He took the time to build relationships with his students and remains in touch today, exchanging messages about the vermicomposting bins they had built together.” Additionally, she said that Billy was well-prepared, knowledgeable, professional, and practical.???

*Promoting Agricultural Volunteer Engagement & Support (PAVES) would like to thank ALOFT for this story. If you or others you know are interested in learning more about Farmer-to-Farmer volunteer assignments, visit Farmer-To-Farmer.??

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