Worms, Worms, and More Worms: Earthworm Soil Factory

Nature still makes the best compost, especially with a little help from a few million earthworms. Earthworm Soil Factory of Butte Valley uses red earthworms to make extremely rich, organic and nutrient soil.

The company operates on 42 acres in an area of the state where poor soil conditions prevent conventional farming. Owners Larry and Karen Royal saw another opportunity for their land: vermiculture (the breeding of earthworms) and vermicomposting (using earthworms to process organic debris into worm castings). Though only in business for a few years, with help from the RMDZ program, they were able to expand already.

"The RMDZ program has helped us tremendously," stated Larry, president. "Thanks to a low-interest loan from them, we were able to purchase the equipment needed for our business expansion and move the Vermicomposting operation to an additional location 20 acres with 6000 sq. ft. building, across from Butte County Neal Road Sanitary Landfill, about 10 minutes from our 42-acre site."

The program helped the Royals fund the purchase of necessary supplies, including bins for harvesting, a material handling loader, a backup power generator, irrigation and controls, lighting and protective netting, a bin for feedstock, a continuous flow reactor, scales and bagger, compost screener, tub grinder, compost tea systems and applicator, a tractor with loader, a flatbed dump truck and, of course, red worms.

"Because we divert materials from landfills, the RMDZ program also advertises our product for free on RecycleStore.com," Larry went on to state. "They’ve been fantastic."

Earthworm Soil Factory has become a profitable way to divert organic materials from nearby landfill sites. They get their feedstock from schools, CSU Chico, collected yard waste and agricultural waste. The end product is sold to nurseries, landscape companies, organic farmers for agricultural applications, and to households.

Earthworm Soil Factory is located in the Chico/Northern Butte County RMDZ.