The State of The Worm Farm

Friends: As some of you know, we had to physically move The Worm Farm. A very difficult time of year to move worms. I accomplished it with one hand tied behind my back. Just kidding, of course, considering my latest injury and surgery to my left hand. Tanner stepped up and provided a super human effort to get the job done by our deadline. We started production again this week at our new location. Just in time to stress us out over an April order for 1000 (15#) bags of castings. Our new location is on Vashon. We hope to continue our efforts of recycling, education, expansion, sustainable ideas and giving back to the community and to the world. Our new landlord, not only believes in giving back to the earth and to the community, but also wants to create a sustainable farm incorporating the worms and worm products. His vision includes developing a place to educate all, especially kids, on how to enrich the soil, how to feed ourselves and give back to each other as part of our community. It all starts with the soil. Our local “bucket program” will begin again in the near future. In addition, an article in the local Beachcomber will be appearing soon to discuss our plans, but especially Tanner’s developing relationship with our new landlord and supporter, Ivan Weiss. Tanner and I used to talk about going to the “farm”. Now we go to Ivan’s. For your reading pleasure…………………..I hope! Please pass on to those that might be interested on how we affect our world on Vashon and beyond. Mark Yelken

The Worm Farm – State of the Union – April 18, 2008

We have had several defining moments since we started the Worm Farm in 2004 and we face another one today. Our actions and decisions in the upcoming weeks will define the future of the Worm Farm. I will outline where we have been over the last few years, where we are today and my thoughts on the future. Your involvement is critical to our success.

This coming Saturday, The Worm Farm will supply the City of Shoreline 15 pound bags (700) for them to give away to their residents for Natural Yard Days. This is the third year we have been their worm casting supplier for this event. However, it is the first year that we have been able to source 100% of the product from our production process. We have made a lot of progress since we first started our “for profit” company, Jonesy Enterprises, Inc., in October 2004 to raise worms, process, bag and sell worm castings, the ultimate organic fertilizer. We have product available at Vashon True Value, Vashon Island Lumber, West Seattle True Value and the True Value at 72nd and Greenwood in N. Seattle. All these stores have carried our castings since Spring 2005. We have additional customers that will be added this year.

We sell everything we can produce. It is a problem that we have attacked in a very conservative way. Our biggest fear was that if we advertised too much and expanded too quickly we would have too many accounts and couldn’t keep up with the demand. This problem exists while using the bags supplied by the company from which we purchased the system and worms. They are professional bags, however, they say “Distributed by UNCO Industries Racine, Wisconsin”. Initially, we put stickers over that part of the bag that stated, “Grown on Vashon Island”, but over the years it hasn’t mattered with our repeat accounts because the purity of our product brings people back. If we really wanted to make it big we would need to have our own bags. We have several designs for bags, but we have come to the conclusion that simple is better. The bags that I am pursuing might just simply say:

PURE
Worm Castings

The Worm Farm
Vashon Island, WA
(206) 817-0388


“A little makes a big difference” – The Worm Guy

Net Weight 15 lbs.

Another challenge we have is with the vermicompost we produce. Even though the supply is perpetual through our organic flow through systems, demand out weighs supply. We have raised the price this year and there is a waiting list for the finished product. Each system uses approximately 100,000 worms to help eliminate food waste from Vashon Island and turn it into compost that is sold to residents on Vashon Island and, most recently, Seattle.

We have a program that we call the bucket program where residents can bring us their food waste and get vermicompost in return. Through a coffee club type punch card the participant takes home a full 5 gallon bucket of compost every other time they bring us a full bucket of food scraps. They pay $10 and we get 6 buckets of food waste and they get 3 buckets of compost. We also get food scraps and coffee from The Monkey Tree and Caf_ Luna on Vashon.

Additionally, we have a small compost bin that we donated to the Lutheran Church garden that grows vegetables for our local Food Bank. Our most recent program involves two of the smaller composting units being tested at the Mercer Island Elementary school to help eliminate their lunch food waste, turn it into compost and use the finished product on the school grounds. These composting projects are under the Jonesy Environmental Services company, a 501c3 not-for-profit company we started in September 2005.

Through the non profit company we are constantly giving tours of the farm and attending sustainable events in Shoreline, Ballard, West Seattle, Seattle, Vashon and with EarthCorp. Education is a big part of our purpose, especially with kids. If we can change the kids, we can change the world. Developing good habits and philosophies about the environment at an early age will make a difference in the future. One of the reasons we introduced our Pumpkin Patch last year was to attract more kids and families to The Worm Farm for fun, education and the experience. Likewise, our Fall Harvest Festival accomplishes the same thing.

These processes can be viewed at our website www.thewormguy.org on one of the ‘Worm Guy” videos. It lasts 27 minutes, but is worth the watch. The other video is the video question we produced when asked by ABC News to submit a video question for the Presidential debates that were hosted by George Stephanopolis.

That is a brief recap of some of our highlights. So, what about the future?

If I only knew then, what I know now!

Strengths: - Great products
- Demand is greater than Supply
- Possibility of a satellite production location in Shelton
- Tanner working full time at the Worm Farm
- Growth is unlimited
- 2 corporations: a for profit corporation and the 501c3

Weaknesses: - Operating capital
- Labor intensive
- Marketing off island
- Delivery off island
- Trying to do too much


Opportunities: - Satellite location to produce product off island (Shelton)
- Product demand is greater than supply
- Product in local Worm Farm bags will be easy sell in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest
- Continued expansion of both companies.
(Due to 27 minute which is on You Tube I answer questions from around the world. Australia, Philippines, Canada, Africa, all over the US, etc. The other day I had a call from “the Worm Bloke”. )
- Education

Threats: - Lack of capital to keep the farm going
- If they would ever sell the Farm. For sale now only to us
- Trying to do too much too fast

Of course, I could list opportunities all day long.

We plan to stay on Vashon forever. One reason Jolene and I went back to work was to be able to stay on Vashon and the other reason was to finance the worm business. We both believe that it has a life that still needs to be played out. From the start, our desire was to make this work on our own. Considering the conservative growth plan we took, the things we know now that we wished we knew then and increased opportunities, yet, increased operating costs and not enough capital to get to the point where we need to be to take advantage of those opportunities……………we need help.

We are open to any participation that you feel is warranted including no participation. We are throwing this out to a very select few and if it flies it flies, if it doesn’t it doesn’t. We mainly need better financial strength to execute a successful business plan.

1) Jonesy Enterprises, Inc.: You can be a shareholder. We can determine a plan for return on your investment.

2) Jonesy Environmental Services, a 501c3 not-for-profit company. You can donate to the non profit. I might point out here that once I gained non profit status I had to agree that we would not benefit financially from that status. A non profit can make a profit, but I can’t just because it does. Everything is returned to the company for expenses and investment.

3) Join the board as an advisor or take on a responsibility to help the farm stay alive.

We would like to make a decision sooner than later for planning purposes.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to call me at 206-683-6575 or e-mail me here.

Thanks!
Mark Yelken a.k.a. The Worm Guy