how much does the unco industries vermiculture course cost?

by Dr. Kaleigh Predovic DVM 7 min read

How much money can you make selling worm castings?

The worm castings (yep, their poop) sell for about $3 a pound. In a 3-400 square foot space, you can farm about 15,000 worms. Those worms will produce about 5,000 pounds of castings per month.

How much do worm breeders make?

The salaries of Worm Farmers in the US range from $33,110 to $113,140 , with a median salary of $64,170 . The middle 60% of Worm Farmers makes $64,170, with the top 80% making $113,140.

Is there profit in worm farming?

Worm farming can be excellent home-based business. And you can make money raising earthworms. Making a worm farm profitable is no different that any other home business.

How much does worm casting cost?

30/pound if you buy in bulk, or as high as $3/pound if you buy in small bags. For high-end worm castings made by earthworms eating a controlled diet, you might pay as little as $. 40/pound if you buy in bulk, or as much as $5/pound if you buy in small bags.

How much does it cost to start a worm farm business?

Worm Farm Business Startup Costs You can start for under $1,000 or as low as a couple hundred. After all, you only need the food, worms, dirt, and material. You don't need to worry about hiring any workers; the worms will work around the clock.

Are worm farms worth it?

Worm farms are an efficient way to reduce household waste and produce nutrient-rich fertiliser for the garden. In fact, worms can consume and compact waste so well that they can reduce the volume of organic matter by 95 per cent.

How many worms do I need to start a worm farm?

For most average sized domestic worm bins, we would suggest you start with 1 lb. (approximately 800 - 1000) mixed sized worms. If the worm bin is larger, or you are composting food scraps for four or more adult persons, we would recommend 2 lbs. of worms.

How do I start my own worm farm?

0:365:01How to start a worm farm in 4 steps: vermiculture made easy - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd as long as your worm farm grab a large bowl or bucket your worm farm worms and the cocoa fibreMoreAnd as long as your worm farm grab a large bowl or bucket your worm farm worms and the cocoa fibre brick that came with your kit place the cocoa fibre brick in the bowl. And cover with. Water.

How do you market a worm?

You can sell your worms locally and you can sell them online. You may find most of your sales are online once you get a website up and traffic flowing. This can take a little time, but it will probably be the biggest source of sales. However, selling locally may be your best market, depending on where you live.

How much does vermicompost cost?

You can produce vermicompost for use on your farm or gardens, or you can sell it for $400 to $1,300 per cubic yard.

Is worm castings better than compost?

Because worm castings contain high levels of nutrients and are beneficial for plant hydration and aeration, they're a great choice for smaller-scale vegetable gardens. However, worm castings can vary quite a bit in quality, and they are usually more expensive than compost and other soil additives.

How much does a worm cost?

Prices. One pound of red earthworms sells for around $15-30 in a commercial market. Prices in a local market will vary depending on location and demand.

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Buy in Bulk

Buy our 100% worm castings in large quantities to fertilize stadiums, farms, properties, etc.

The Home Gardner

We have some great tips for using Wiggle Worm 100% worm castings to get the best out of your garden.

UNCO News

Find out what’s new at UNCO and capture great ideas in the worm industry in general.

What is worm casting?

Earthworm castings (manure) for organic fertilizer. Worm cocoons (eggs) for gardeners to replenish worms in their soil. Our commercial worm farm manufacturing system is one of the most technologically advanced systems available in the world today.

When did we start raising earthworms?

Without them, producing any worms or worm castings profitably is guesswork at best. We have been raising earthworms since 1977 and have developed a worm farming production system that is truly unique. It is not like others requiring large growing areas and cumbersome methods with NO ability to maintain any control.

How does Unco worm farming work?

The Unco commercial worm farming system puts a precise number of the same size worms into a specific volume of scientifically formulated feed mix and bedding. This is then placed into a controlled environment for a specified period of time. This enables you to know exactly how many worms you have, what size they are, when they will be ready for sale and what your exact cost of production is. We have a video that shows redworms, we use our cultured worm which is much more desirable in the lucrative live bait market, and pays the highest price for worms.

What is Unco system?

The Unco System is a controlled production process for people looking to make a business of producing night crawlers and pure earthworm castings. The beauty of the Unco Commercial worm farming system is the simplicity of it.

What is vermicomposting?

Vermicomposting is a process of using worms to breakdown organic matter. This can range from someone’s kitchen scraps to rabbit manure to grass clippings. The worms ingest the organic material and then turn it into castings. The difference between this and commercial worm growing is that there are NO controls.

How much space do you need to grow worms?

The amount of space required will depend on the amount of worms you plan to grow monthly. A part time operation producing 15,000 worms and 5,200 pounds of worm castings per month can be done in as little as 350-400 square feet of space with no expensive equipment required.

When did Unco Industries buy an old school?

In 1983 , Unco Industries, Inc. purchased an old school building and remodeled it specifically to accommodate multiple offices; climate controlled growing rooms and a large harvesting and bagging area. Unco Industries also under took extensive automating procedures to streamline their entire operation. This ongoing process allows Unco to test different pieces with no wasted time and effort. Within 2 years, Unco Industries, Inc. was renting additional warehouse space to allow for the handling of more products for customers some of whom had grown from less than a truckload in their first year to 40 plus truckloads of PURE Earthworm Castings. We now have many customers and multiple distributors as well as some customers buying close to 100 or more truckloads per year. So expansion was needed again. In Early 2010, Unco started looking at building onto their current facilities. But after much effort, problems with zoning and layout made them realize they would have to buy a new facility.

Who is the CEO of Unco Industries?

UNCO Industries, Inc. has been in the worm farming business for over 40 years. Initially, Tom Chapman, who is the current CEO, and his original partner had set out raising redworms in wooden beds for bait in an old dairy barn.

Who started worm farming?

The man who had gotten Chapman and his partner started in worm farming, was producing redworms himself at the time. After some time, Chapman came to the conclusion that the best way to proceed was for him to buy out his original partner and to expand the operation. Approximately three years passed and the worm growing operation grew.

How are buckets filled?

Essentially, a series of buckets are filled with an exact amount of bedding and food, inoculated with an exact number of worms, and the buckets are stacked onto a pallet and remain undisturbed for a prescribed time period, then harvested.

Does Unco offer buy back?

Technical support is promised. There is no buy-back implied, and they suggest ways to build your own market. I did not tour Unco’s facilities, but I spoke with them several times by phone, and I was impressed with their know-how and research.

Does UNCO buy what is produced?

UNCO will buy what is produced, however, this is not the emphasis of the program but rather they are selling their expertise they have gained over the years and promoting that as a means to help other people to be successful at this business.

Does Unco require proprietary food blend?

2) The system requires Unco’s proprietary food blend, or the guarantee is voided;

Is Unco a professional system?

I looked into the Unco system about four years ago; it is a slick, professional, approach which will yield predictable results if the operation is run exactly in the prescribed manner and using the prescribed bedding and food stock.

How long has Unco been in business?

Unco Industries, Inc. has been in the business for over 40 years. See what a commercial worm growing operation is all about.

What is the UNCO mission?

UNCO’S MISSION: TO EDUCATE THE GENERAL PUBLIC ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF EARTHWORMS AND EARTHWORM CASTINGS BY HELPING FAMILIES START AND/OR DIVERSIFY THEIR OWN HOME BASED BUSINESSES TO PRODUCE THE PRODUCTS THAT WILL HELP FILL THE GROWING DEMAND.

Can you watch the worm farm video more than once?

We feel that watching the video will be just like seeing our operation in person without having to spend your valuable time and hundreds of dollars in travel expenses. In many ways, it is even better than touring because you can view the DVD more than once. However, if you desire, we encourage you to visit our worm farm to see first hand what our operation is like and meet us in person.

How often can you expect to see production cost of vermicompost?

However, this is happens only once. From second year onwards, once can expect only production cost of vermicompost. Make sure to include transportation cost in operation costs for getting organic material like cow dung and transporting finished product to market.

What are the surface feeders used for vermicomposting?

Epigeics which are surface feeders are very important in production of vermicomposting process. The ‘epigeics’ such as ‘Eisenia foetida’ and ‘Eudrilus eugeniae’ are exotic earthworms and Perionyx excavatus’ is a native one being used for vermicomposting in India.

What is the benefit of vermicompost?

Vermicompost prevents nutrient losses and increases the use efficiency of chemical fertilizers. Vermicompost is free from activity of earthworm in the soil, soil pathogens, and weeds. The other main advantage of vermicompost minimizes the incidence of pest and diseases in growing crops/trees/plants. Vermicompost enhances the process of ...

How tall is a vermicomposting shed?

The vermicomposting process consists of constructing brick lined beds of 1.0 to 1.5 meter width and 0.25 to 0.3 meter height should be constructed inside a shed open from all sides.

What is vermicompost? What are its functions?

Using proper species of earthworms, excellent quality of compost can be produced in ambient temperature conditions in a short period of time. The earthworms promote faster decomposition of organic material when compared to compost pits without earthworms. Vermicompost plays an important role in improving growth and yield of different field crops like vegetable, flower and fruit crops. After using vermicompost in most of the crops, it has been found that germination percentage as well as produce quality is very high. Vermicompost, apart from supplying nutrients and growth enhancing hormones to plants, improves the soil structure leading to increase in water and nutrient holding capacities of soil.

What is vermicompost good for?

Vermicompost is rich in all essential plant nutrients and provides excellent plant growth and encourages the growth of new leaves and improves the quality and shelf life of the produce.

Why is vermicompost important?

Vermicompost plays an important role in improving growth and yield of different field crops like vegetable, flower and fruit crops . After using vermicompost in most of the crops, it has been found that germination percentage as well as produce quality is very high.