LAPEER -- A former auto worker re-invented her life for the new economy.
Now, she owns a worm farm right here in Mid-Michigan and is seeing success.
Most people consider worms as slimy, wiggly creatures.
But not for one Mid-Michigan woman, she's using them to make a living.
I traveled to Lapeer to find out how she does it at her business called Worm-It.
Got poop?
It’s a phrase you don't hear everyday, but it’s making this new Mid-Michigan worm farm a hit.
"My son, Roger, and I touch worms all day long," said Amy English, the owner of Worm-It.
About a year ago Lapeer resident Amy English needed a career change, the idea for a worm farm came to her while fishing with her father-in-law Roger and 6-year-old son David.
"I thought; let me go into that market, because every time I go into a store, the worms are gone, so I knew there was a demand there," said English.
Now, English breeds 200,000 worms for fisherman, and their castings, more commonly known as worm poop, are sold to garden centers as fertilizer.
See this brown stuff, it's worm poop, 20,000 pounds of it, and the best part is, there is no smell, it's 100% organic, and there's zero shelf life.
Here’s how it works, peat dirt is mixed with water to make worm bedding, then high-end multi-grain feed is added.
"We feed them steak," said Roger Heyer with Worm-It.
Then it’s mixed all together.
"It’s labor intense here, this is probably the most difficult part of the job because if you don't get this right you could kill your worms," said English.
Once the bedding goes into a bucket, worm cocoons are put in.
And one week later…whalah! 30,000 worms are made.
"And it's a he/she," said English.
Once the worms are adults, David takes over.
"We are going to use the harvester now to separate the worms, their cocoons and their castings," said English.
"They are very happy now because they were starving, and now they get to eat for the next ten days," said English.
It looks easy, but English and her family work seven days a week to meet the demand of their customers. Roger’s retired, but he's happy to help out.
"I didn't want to sit in the bars with the other retirees and hear them complain, I’m out here doing something," said Heyer.
Despite the long hours, English and her family still find time to fish, although it’s become a little harder.
"I have to look away because I have a heart for my worms now, and it’s hard to put them on the hook," said English.
To English these worms aren't slimy, they've become her livelihood, and she calls them her babies.
So how much does worm poop cost you might ask?
English sells a pound of it for a$1.00, and 18 of her worms go for about $2.50.
If you want to find out more, visit Worm-It.com
