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Story: Earthworms

Ten-hectare worm farm

Ten-hectare worm farm

Most worm farms are small and built in backyard gardens, but this one near Cromwell in Central Otago covers 10 hectares. The worms are housed under long strips of polythene sheeting weighted down with car tyres and kept moist with regular watering. About 1,000 tonnes of food waste is provided for the worms each year, and in return they produce about 300 tonnes of vermicast which can be spread on gardens or pastures.

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Central Wormworx

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How to cite this page

Gregor Yeates, Earthworms – Benefits for pasture and compost, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/diagram/15509/ten-hectare-worm-farm (accessed 25 June 2026).

Story by Gregor Yeates, published 1 March 2009.

Comments

Des Fiedler
14 June 2014
Will be visiting New Zealand and would like to come and have a look at your worm farm. We are worm farmers in Victoria ,breeding worms with similar set up to yours.We market over two thousand kilos ayear and our market is ever increasing .