«I have ten million employees,» says Alexander Polikarpov, one of the creators of the Vologda vermiferm (from the Latin verm «worm.» — Editor’s note). Farms, where the main work is done by worms of a special kind «Staratel».
It seemed that the essence of production is quite simple: you create an environment of the right temperature and humidity in the beds for worms — and they multiply in comfortable conditions in geometric progression, recycle waste and clean manure to the state of high quality fertilizer «biohumus».
But only one vermiculture farm out of a dozen created in the region remains. What prevents the development of this business in the Vologda Oblast, the government of which has set a course for the development of various spheres of the economy, not only dairy farming, which is in demand among entrepreneurs?
So far, only two pensioners, spouses Nadezhda Kosuli and Alexander Polikarpov, have managed to establish a vermiculture farm in the Vologda Oblast. The novice entrepreneurs opened it three years ago near Vologda and are still engaged in this business in a cowshed.
As the vermi-farmers tell us, the secret of success is more about their passion. They became interested in creating biohumus production in the process of growing flowers for many years. Nadezhda has a large garden and flower garden, and she is always trying new fertilizers and soil that will give her «pets» longevity and lush blooms.
Nadezhda Ivanovna worked in a bank, and after retirement moved out of town and created a garden center, growing perennials and roses. Although she always had chemical fertilizers on sale, she preferred to use humus from compost pits. A few years ago, she tried using biohumus and was pleased with the results, so she began to study the technology of its production.
She personally bought five boxes of worms from a vermiculture farm near Moscow and placed them in the basement of the house. The feed was vegetable peelings, which she froze to make it easier for the worms to process cabbage, beets, potatoes and carrots. In the temperature of plus 25 degrees the worms multiplied perfectly — over the years the number of boxes has increased to 120 pieces. That’s how the Vologda woman thought about opening a production facility — the cellar was not big enough.
The production of the fertilizer «biohumus» has proven to be in demand among those who support the environmental agenda and the idea of growing bio-vegetables without the use of chemical fertilizers. Biohumus contains a complex of nutrients, trace elements, enzymes, vitamins and microorganisms that increase soil fertility. This fertilizer can be applied in the open ground from spring to autumn, said Igor Titov, head of the Vladimir regional branch of the Society of Biotechnologists of Russia.
According to the biologist, the scientific community in many countries of the world today is looking for technologies that should be «economically viable», «environmentally friendly» and «socially acceptable». Vermitechnology, based on the use of earthworm culture, combines all these virtues at the same time. Earthworms have a track record of over 600 million years as «environmental engineers.»
«In the past, so many antibiotics were not used in livestock production. And now the situation has changed, so the requirements for manure quality have become stricter. There is even a ban on exporting untreated manure to the fields and selling it to the public. In manure, even digested, there are weed seeds and roots, worm eggs and antibiotics, which are used to treat animals. But the worm takes care of everything and, by processing the manure, produces pure organic products,» Alexander shares with Rossiyskaya Gazeta.
The production of the Vologda vermiculture farm is located in a former calf house, where there are 18 beds for worms. The «laborers» are fed once every two to three weeks. They are offered stale manure and vegetable waste from one side of the bed, where the worms move to, leaving behind biohumus. «When you cut biohumus, it has to undergo organic fermentation. This procedure takes time, it has to lie down, dry out and take on a look. Then it is all sieved to the fraction of grits, and it is already a marketable form,» explains the entrepreneur.
The earthworms’ experience as «environmental engineers» goes back more than 600 million years
At first there were 7.5 million earthworms living in the beds, now the number has increased to 10 million. There would be even more if production could be gasified and the indoor temperature raised to plus 20 degrees. At the current temperature of plus 10 degrees, the inhabitants of the beds are rather chilly.
But Vologda residents do not lower their hands. One part of the premises has already started to be repaired. In the former calf house they concreted the floor and gradually insulated the walls. They have installed a boiler room heated with wood and brought water. They share their experience at scientific conferences and explain to departmental staff that their business is an aid to those involved in food production.
The plans are to expand the assortment, automate production and increase volumes. It is quite expensive to buy a new boiler for more stable heating and to mechanize labor (and the entrepreneurs pack biohumus themselves). According to the most conservative estimates, more than 20 million rubles will be needed for repairs and purchase of necessary equipment. In the Vologda Oblast, as the entrepreneurs say, the most support is given to those who are engaged in animal husbandry, so their business is not yet in the sphere of interest.
But the ice has moved. This year they will treat 10 hectares of their land with organics from vermiculture. Entrepreneurs want to make a liquid «bio tea» based on biohumus, so that the product can be used on a larger territory. After the experiment, having harvested the crop, they want to compare the indicators of last year and this year. According to the businessmen’s estimates, the difference can reach 40-50 percent.
The administration of the Vologda District is already working out options to support the business needed for the agro-industrial complex. In addition, entrepreneurs are looking for investors and studying the possibilities of participation in federal and regional programs to support agricultural producers.