Leverett resident Ben Goldberg is well-known for displaying worm bins and fielding questions about vermiculture, also known as composting with worms. At the recent Garlic & Arts Festival, Goldberg’s booth also featured toilets, because he’s also an expert on composting commodes. Some adults approached his booth with a mixture of curiosity and mild resistance, while many children demonstrated glee at being delightfully grossed out. One lad hurried toward Goldberg’s booth and joyfully yelled, “Mom, look! Worms and toilets!”

In addition to artisan woodworking and land stewardship, Goldberg has spent decades dealing with elements that most people try to avoid: creepy crawlies, decomposing materials, pee and poo. He travels the world installing Phoenix Composting Toilets, and his tutorials make him a sought-after speaker. “Basically, I work with water conservation and nutrient recovery systems,” he said.

“I got involved in worms when I met David Lovler in the mid-’90s,” said Goldberg. Lovler was known as the worm guru of New England: “He was a teacher, helper, and wise man,” said Goldberg, who built worm bins for Lovler. “I tweaked his design, and then got into worms, myself. I took to worm-tending, having grown up playing in mud puddles.” As a child, Goldberg spent time at his grandfather’s cabin in Maine. “It’s where I learned to heat with and cook on a wood stove, relieve myself in an outhouse, and catch fish in order to get dinner. I feel fortunate that my childhood involved homesteading and backwoods time.”

Goldberg makes worm farming sound not only possible, but downright attractive. “There’s a large community of worm keepers,” exclaimed Goldberg. “If you join us, you’ll be gifted with the insight that all life has value and that what might be considered the lowest of creatures has an exceedingly important and respected role in sustaining life on this curious old planet.” He emphasized that maintaining worm bins at home doesn’t require access to an outdoor compost pile. “It’s a great way to convert a waste product (worm poop) into a beneficial resource. Vermiculture keeps food scraps out of the landfill, many of which are nearing capacity, and helps reduce methane, one of the main sources of the landfill gas.” Worm castings augment beneficial soil microorganisms, which can boost soil vitality, help plants develop resistance to disease, and (when used in proper proportions) increase plant growth rate and yield.

In order to become your housemates, worms need a welcoming spot to do their thing; plastic tote bins are a common choice. One challenge is managing resulting liquids, but Goldberg engineered a hack: “To prevent bins from getting soggy, I borrowed a design from composting toilets. I put in an additional floor that liquid can flow through.” Another challenge is discouraging fruit flies and other unwanted guests; Goldberg has a fix for that, too: “Layering materials on top discourages visitors you don’t want as part of the process.”

It would be impossible to include complete details in this column, but readers can access Goldberg’s wonderful booklet, “Worm Bin Composting,” originally published as an article in the Winter 2015-16 NOFA Mass Newsletter. We’ll delve into the basics here, and those wanting more information can contact Goldberg.

Worms most suited for vermiculture are surface-dwelling creatures like red wigglers (Eisenia fetida), able to thrive while densely populated in enclosed spaces. These voracious feeders consume the equivalent half of their body weight daily, and under the right conditions can double their population in 60 to 90 days. Adequate ventilation allows worms to breathe and ensures aerobic conditions. After choosing a bin, add sufficient amounts of bedding (4-to-6-inches to start) to mimic worms’ dark and moist natural habitat, which also yields a texture allowing for easy burying of food scraps. (Goldberg’s booklet provides loads of useful info about bin types, best materials for bedding, and many other wormy details.)

Goldberg speaks of worms as though they’re personal friends. “Give them time to move in,” he said. “They may be reluctant. If they resist burrowing, leave a light on, because they prefer darkness. If they congregate in a mass on bin walls or seem like they’re trying to exit, it might indicate that your bin is too wet, hot, anaerobic, or contains unsuitable pH. If they’re congregating in smaller numbers in corners, however, they’re probably just, um, dating.”

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While he truly loves worms, Goldberg also respects their need for privacy: “They can perceive us as predators, so it’s best to leave them alone.” Further demonstrating his sensitivity to worms’ needs, he added: “Some people just drop their worms into a bin, but I don’t. At the risk of seeming overprotective, I prefer to set worms down gently in order to show respectful and responsible care for livestock.”

It’s tempting to try to get into optimal worm diets, the delight of spotting cocoons, and descriptions of other beneficial critters who might visit your worm bins, but we have limited space, and that’s all detailed in Goldberg’s magnum opus. So let’s turn to the topic of harvesting worm castings, since the major reason for pursuing vermiculture is to collect their nutrient-rich poop. “Once a bin seems full, it’s good to let it rest without additional feeding for a week or two,” said Geoldberg. “This is where a second bin comes in handy, to recolonize the worms.” He recommends the light-avoidance method for separating worms.

“You don’t have to screen the castings,” said Goldberg, “nor must you remove every single bit.” He suggests using castings for a dry top dressing or for mixing with water to feed plants in the home or garden. “Go for a 15-to-20% mixture of castings to water or soil mix,” said Goldberg, who emphasized that worm castings impart an increased level of resistance to plant diseases.

To learn more about worm farming, email Ben Goldberg at bins@wehaveworms.com or call him at 413-237-7060. “I’m happy to send people information electronically or to get my booklet to them,” said the delightful man who could be called the Worm Whisperer.

Eveline MacDougall is the author of “Fiery Hope” and can be reached at eveline@amandlachorus.org.