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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSaluting Huron County's Agricultural Industry, 1987-03-25, Page 11THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 1987. PAGE All. on Morris worm ‘ranch This little piggy went to Watson’s... Wrangling those wrigglers Worm ranching may not be the average Ontario farmer’s idea of fun.butBarbandRossNicholof RR 4, Brussels, find their tiny livestock “fascinating creatures,’’ and don’t begrudge the 20 hours a week it takes to provide their 12,000(giveortakeafew!) “head” of stock with all the tender, loving care they need. Intrigued by a classified ad they saw in a local paper a little more than a year ago which promised the chance to “Earn $25,000 a year - it’seasierthany ou think!',the Nichols investigated, curious about a lifestyle less strenuous than the beef and cash-crop farming operation on the sixth of Morris from which Ross has been hoping to semi-retire over the next few years. Within a week, the Nichols had signed up as worm growers for the Early Bird Ecology and Bait Farms Ltd. at RR 1, Smithville (near Hamilton). After three visits to the head ranch, during which they saw a video tape ofthe operation from A toZlearned by intimate contact how to handle the wee beasties, they came home with 12 pails each containing 50 pedigreed African Nightcrawlers, and they were in business. TheNicholssetuptheirworm ranch in their basement, the most common location for a beginning operation. Being insulated, the, basement makes a good first home for worms, a place where tempera­ ture and humidity can be controll­ ed with relative ease in most cases. Barb and Ross had built some ofthe equipment they needed before bringing the worms home, and were able to purchase both a second-hand cement mixer and “segregator’’, both vital to the operation, from their supplier. A representative from Early Bird then visited the Nichols Continued on page A12 This little piggy - stayed home.. This little piggy went to the Grand View for a friendly home-cooked meal! Grand View 523-4471 LUnCh Blyth Tiverton - 368-7696 357-2721 COLD WATER CLEANER FEATURES: •Small/Portable/Lightweight •Pump operating pressure — 1,000 psi •Long life pump has forged brass head, duplex ceramic plungers, over­ sized bearings •High efficiency 1 % H.P. elec, motor •Adjustable nozzle gives best spray pattern for job. (0° to 60° fan) — adjust while in operation *Shut off Gun and Extension •Direct drive flexible coupling. Maitland Redi-Mix ...as close to you as your telephone Listowel - 291-4320 Teeswater - 392-6881 One oj the major pieces of equipment on a worm ranch is the segregator. It works like a potato grader to separate worms, egg cocoons and worm castings into separate boxes. Canadian Made Manurigation Systems RESOURCE________ MAHAGEMEMT URC (519) 887-9378 Toll Free (519 Area) 1-800-265-9682 maitland concrete DIVISION OF LAKE ONTARIO CEMENT LIMITEDI HEAD OFFICE Box 130 Wingham NOG 2W0 epos■ BMIg Ltd Model 21OD PRESSURE CLEANER Cliff's Plumbing And Heating LUCKNOW 528-3913