Local Worm Guy offers one of a kind composting service

The Local Worm Guy, or to those who know him, Lloyd Lone Barker, runs one of the only composting services in Humboldt County that helps businesses and residents meet their food waste diversion requirements. It is the only one that uses worms.

Since 2022, nearly 78% of California communities report they have residential organic waste collection in place. The concept of food waste compliance came from Senate Bill 1383, which says that jurisdictions within the state should have composting services available. 

“Well, one thing is that garbage is smelly, and it can attract animals, especially if you live out in the country. So by keeping all your food scraps in a bin, you can reduce the amount of odor you have in your kitchen, the attractiveness of your garbage to critters, and really reduce your footprint overall as far as how you’re living and what’s happening with your organic materials”, says Barker. 

When organic material isn’t composted, it turns into methane gas. Composting helps break this cycle.

“Organic material just doesn’t do anything other than get smelly and gross. It really needs that combination of carbon, microbial activity and being, turned every once in a while, to really get to a state where it’s then usable again for plant growth”, he says

“Compost is a balance of organic material and carbon. So with that balance and, the addition of microbial activity, air, water, kind of a perfect mix, if you will. then that is what creates compost. Just organic material by itself. Just like wood, just like carbon sitting out by itself doesn’t really do anything.” 

The worm guy adds worms to the compost, which drastically cuts down composting time. 

“And then we let that compost, for anywhere from a month to two months. Then at that point, the worms are able to get into it and finish it a little bit quicker than it would be if it were just left to a traditional hot compost where it would take up to six months”, Barker says. 

You can sign up for curbside pickup here https://www.localwormguy.com/signup.html#/ and the Worm Guy’s Vermicompost can be purchased at Dazey’s supply in Arcata.