How valuable are earthworm castings?

How Much Would You Pay for Value of an Earthworm and a Bee in Nature’s Bio-systems?

Annemarie Berukoff
4 min readAug 28, 2020

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And when you don’t understand how webs connect; or how roots make leaves; or how the food web is many links that can’t be broken; when you lack empathy for the most ordinary creature, the worm or the bee, you become disconnected and pay the price one way of another, too often with disorder and disease.” Excerpt from Ecological Succession of Birchum Birch

One of the main values of Nature’s bio-system is CHANGE. Parts are always connecting, moving and adapting. The cycle of birth, growth, maturity, death, and rebirth is nature’s way through seasons of growth and dormancy. It is never about instant delivery or gratification.

A benefactor is defined as “someone or something that provides help, an advantage or a benefit without expecting something in return.” When looking at all powerful Nature, two benefactors stand out without which, Nature would lose its organization and play a losing game … the earthworms and the bees. Their functions and values to Nature’s bio-system must be respected as the roles of real heroes.

The cycles of Nature’s ecosystem works in four integrated parts: 1. nonliving factors (sun, water, air) 2. Plants (photosynthesis) 3. Consumers (animals and humans) 4. Decomposers or Recyclers

Nature’s decomposition begins with dead organic plant matter decaying or breaking down into its original elements such as nitrogen, sulfur, calcium, potassium, iron and more. These minerals can then be absorbed by root hairs to continue growth of new branches, buds, leaves and flowers.

Decomposition depends on a host of microorganisms, bacteria, fungi and protozoa to partially eat and soften the leaves so that other soil mites and insects like the sow bugs, silverfish or daddy long legs can continue to digest and release the minerals.

Here is where the earthworm earns his championship role in fertile decomposition!

  • swallows large quantities of soil, mixes it with mucus as it passes through his gut to extrude as a casting at the end. His burrow may have two entrances and several vertical and horizontal tunnels.
  • makes castings that are rich in phosphorous, nitrogen, iron, sulfur, calcium, nitrogen, and…

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Annemarie Berukoff

Retired teacher — Affiliate Marketer, Big Picture Wisdom, author 4 e-books: social media teens, eco-fiction ecology https://helpfulmindstreamforchanges.com