FARMER FOCUS SERIES

Enumclaw's
Dinkelman Worm Farm
Part II

The Dinkelman Worm Farm has been a chemical-free environment since 1998 and is certified organic. Lori's father, a third generation dairy farmer, purchased the farm in 1930. Lori grew up on her dad's 120 acres, but as a teenager wanted to leave the farm for city life. Duane's mom's side of the family had a farming heritage too, even though he was a city kid and grew up in West Seattle. It was there he and Lori met and continued to live their city life together. In 1992, one year after Lori's dad died of cancer, she and Duane moved from West Seattle to Glacier Vista. They wanted to work the inherited 33 acres and make something of the farm. A significant side benefit in returning to the farm was noticeable health improvement for Lori who had been diagnosised with Multiple Sclerosis.

Duane and Lori's original idea was to start a nursery. However, they soon realized a waste management problem on the land---an abundance of horse manure. It was Lori's mom who casually suggested cultivating worms because they came naturally. Duane says, "The process is simple. Manure piles into compost, and if there is proper moisture and feeding---worms will go to it." Recognizing their immense waste management problem, and how worms could recycle it into a valuable resource ('black gold') for growing healthy food and plant life now and in the future, clarified how the farm would be cultivated. Here was a solution to no fertile farmlands.....no food.

According to The Ecologist: A Blue Print for Survival "worm compost not only improves soil quality, prevents plant diseases, speeds up seed germination, combats soil erosion, increases the soil's ability to store water (thereby diminishing the amount of water needed by trees and plant life), it also reduces mineral leaching from the soil and fixes heavy metals." Science Daily News informs that "just one pound of (specific species) worms can turn 1.3 million pounds of raw manure into high quality fertilizer in approximately 60 days that will increase plant life to thrive." The Ecologist also publicizes research showing increase in plant yields that are significant from vermicomposting: "40% for broccoli, 80% for tomatoes and as much as 259% for carrots."

Although the Dinkelman's Worm Farm is in it's early stages of development and not yet ready for large-scale commerical use, current indications suggest vermicomposting is finding new fans---some in unusual places. "Around 32% of the European Union's annual municipal waste (around 120 million tons) is food and garden waste," according to Waste Management World. "30% of U.S. waste (announced by the EPA) could have been composted in 2000---representing 92 million tons of organic waste that otherwise sat rotting on landfills." Local governments and companies are grappling with how to safely dispose of waste. "McDonald's aims to decrease the amount of waste it sends to Hong Kong's rapidly filling landfills by 80%-----after signing up for a vermicomposting program that will have 80 million worms feasting on between 50-200 tons of organic waste a day", informs Reuters News Service. Treehugger.com announced another US company, IKEA of Illinois, is conducting vermicomposting trials. If all goes well, it aims to use worm composting to boost its 70% recycling rates to 90%.

The Dinkelman's farming efforts happen on weekends and evenings as they both daily commute (and have for 15 years) to full-time occupations in North Seattle. Since 1992 they have gradually restored a deteriorating 20th century homestead, and have plans to expand their worm farm operations. Their efforts go beyond good farm stewardship. They are committed to helping avert a food crisis by educating children, and all who want to understand, how each of us can be more self-reliant. They speak at schools and community groups, as well as participate in local and Puget Sound fairs. Word gets around about Dink's Dirt vermicomposting. In fact at this point all their advertising is word-of-mouth-----whether for restoring City pea-patches, community and business soil improvements, individuals wanting to amend their soil, or apartment and condo dwellers beginning compost bins on a back porch in order to grow food. Give them a call at (253) 632-6184 or (360) 825-2394, or e-mail Lori at dinksdirt@comcast.net to find out how they can help you.

Even with all of it's demands, the Dinkelmans are excited about farming. Lori said, "We feel it is our moral responsibility to be good stewards of the land before passing it on." They both agree, "Farming is our passion.....we are following our bliss." As I was leaving the farm that beautiful Fall night, Lori showed me a T. S. Elliot poem she lives by:

"We shall not cease from exploration,
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time."