Found a Canadian supplier in Ontario

[sammyqc]

I've been reading through these threads, and it seems like such a neat idea, even on a small scale, just for my garden. I finally found a supplier in Ontario, and wanted to post the link for the other Canucks around here. There are some suppliers in BC, but I think most of the posters here are in Ontario or thereabouts. And their prices seem a bit more reasonable. I don't know what the going rate for worms is, but $40.00 for 1lb is better than $75 (price in BC) I think I'm going to buy my hubs some worms for his bday!! ;D
www.cathyscomposters.com/

[bluelacedredhead]

There's one in Ottawa, which would be closer for you, CanadaMike and myself, although there is one much closer to me even than the capital.
Here's a list. A couple of the companies in Hamilton (again S. Ontario so farther away) have been in business for 15 years or more...
www.rco.on.ca/RCO_files/Vermicomposting%20Suppliers.pdf

[sammyqc]

Thanks Blue! I checked out the one on Bank st, $30 for 1/2 a lb. That's not too bad. Now I just have to convince my hubs that he wants worms in the house! Wish he were a fisher, then it would be much easier. Although we compost now because it was his idea. When we moved 6 years ago, we literally brought our compost with us! We used the big garbage cans, with holes slashed through them, because we were renting, and our landlord didn't want us to build a compost bin. Now we have a couple compost piles, but I'm intrigue by the worm thing. Do you have a worm composter? If so, how do you find it?

[bluelacedredhead]

No, I don't. I've toyed with the idea off and on, but just never got around to it.
But maybe this year?? Who knows?

[canadamike]

I am bringing back this old post about worms, because I just found it ;D

Sammy, if you still want to do some vermicomposting, don't buy any worms, just go in the pile of horse manure with a garden fork or a shovel, they are hiding in HUGE piles, all together in big balls close to the surface. The side of the pile is usually easier than the top ;D ;D ;D

They eat and digest an area and then move to the next, but stay in balls, when you find one you usually find thousands, although there are smaller groups dispersed...

[Alan]

I definitely encourage everybody that is even remotely interested in vermiculture to go ahead and get head first into it, it really is a cheap and easy way to create garden fertility and the feeling you get from reusing all of the old non usable material that you have on site or that you can get from local sources in un-describeable.

The only issue that I will point out regarding picking up worms from wild populations is that the worms that you will be picking up most certainly are not E. Foetida or E. Hortensis and will be mostly unidentifiable to the layperson just now exploring vermiculture or vermicomposting. Normally this wouldn't be an issue, however many of the worms that you will find using this method will not be of the proper composting type which will make for a good red worm culture, they may not do well in only compost or they may even try to migrate on you, even if they are composting worms there is a good chance that their culture is pretty different from that of E. Foetida and as such will not be highly comparable to commonly used methods found on the net or in books. I highly suggest purchasing an earthworm culture from a reputable source if possible.

[bluelacedredhead]

And I went looking for this post because I seemed to recall posting a link to a source list for those of us here in Ontario. Unfortunately, that link is not longer valid. And the source list on the Recycling Council of Ontario's site now contains a short list of sources compared to what was available in 2007.

[dirtsunrain]

Wild worms have itchy feet (if they had feet). They do not want to stay where I want them to be.

thewormladyroadtrip.wordpress.com/

This lady seems to be the going concern about vermiculture in the Toronto area.

[bluelacedredhead]

This woman has been doing Vermicomposting for several years. There are a few places in Southern Ontario where I could go to buy worms, but do not ship them. They have all suggested purchasing from Cathy, who of course is located in one of the richest farming areas in Southern Ontario.

www.cathyscomposters.com/