Worm farms use red worms – A box filled with moist bedding with a few cups of soil for the worms digestive processes and you are away. Worms will convert your food waste into a great compost. You will need a container of sorts, bedding (newspaper – shredded, leaves or corrugated cardboard – and of course some worms. A wooden container is the best – plastic works but can get wet. A good number of worms to start your first worm farm is 500 redworms. The worm bin should be about 30 cm’s deep – you will need a worm box about 60cm wide x 95cm long – this will process about 2.5 kg’s of food waste per week. Drill some hold in the bottom of the worm container – this is for drainage. You should place a tray underneath to catch the liquid – it makes great plant food.

Worms like dark, moist places – as their bodies are nearly 90% water they need to be kept moist – not wet – you do not want to drown them (you are not fish farming) – you should place a lid on the box to keep it dark, and to stop rain from drenching the worm farm.  The worm box needs to be kept out of the sun, but also not cold – and it can be kept just about anywhere – in the garden , in the kitchen or in the cellar. For 1/2kg of food waste you will need 1kg of worms – that is about 2000 worms. Worms breed quite quickly – 60 – 90 days to mature and then 21 days to hatch baby worms. Don’t worry about them over breeding and crowding each other out – they will know how much space they have a reproduce accordingly. Once you are ready to add scraps, you should pull the bedding aside and bury the scraps underneath it – try and bury in different places each time. If you are lazy, and just toss your scraps on top – the worms will still compost your material – just not as effectively.

Once the compost in your worm box has darkened – about 6 weeks later the bedding will have started to disappear and your will see some brown earth coloured worm droppings. It is time to add more bedding to your worm farm. If you want to harvest your compost you can separate the worms and the compost by using a bright light – spread the worm compost on a plastic sheet and shine the light – red worms do not like bright lights and will dig down to the lowest point – the plastic sheet. Remove your worm compost and prepare a new bedding for your worms. Do not worry about smell – a properly managed worm farm or worm box will have an earthy smell – and what a great way for the kids to learn, and what a great way to compost your organic vegetables!

For vegetation to turn into compost it needs time. The pile of compost to be should be piled in a heap – preferably in the sun. It should be kept damp and will need to be turned every now and again. (although there are gardeners who swear that not turning their compost does no harm) The key to good compost is heat and moisture. The inside of the compost heap will warm up very quickly in the sun, and with the moisture. the magic happens. Larger branches should be chopped up – a garden chipper is often the easiest way to do this.

Commercial compost producers use a thermometer with a long probe – which they poke into the pile – when the temperature is between 57 degrees C and 71 degrees C, the heat cause the break down of vegetation at a higher rate – and also what happens is that weed seeds are killed – meaning that the organic compost can be used without spreading unwanted weeds. While high temperatures cause nitrogen loss they also kill parasites and eggs of flies and stops the bacterial processes – this is not a good thing – so when the temperature of your compost gets too high it should be turned – or aerated. A drop in temperature, before the material has stabalised -when the pile has not been turned means it is becoming anaerobic – and needs to be aerated. Adding more water does not drop the temperature – unless you really soak the mass of compost – and this is not a good idea – better to keep it moist and turn the compost when the temperature climbs too high.

While all this may seem very scientific – making compost is relatively easy – and just piling it as high as you can and watering it occasionally, and turning it regularly is enough for most home compost piles. There are compost boxes, or compost bins available – which make the whole process less messy. A small compost bin will make compost in about 3 months – while a large compost pile can take up to 6 months for the whole composting process to finish. Worms can be added to speed thing up – and worm boxes that make compost are ideal for small gardens. Worm compost is highly effective and easy to make. Naturally – if you want organic compost you will need to only use organic matter – all the inputs need to be organic, if you are using chicken litter – the chickens will need to have been organic chickens – and all the old vegetables will have to have been grown in an organic way.

Organic eggs and free range eggs are the way to go – no doubt. It is only money that keeps the intensive poultry farms in business – the public needs to wake up and vote with their money. The benefits of free range poultry and organic poultry are no longer fringe science. Any organic farming - whether organic crops or organic livestock, is healthier than the rubbish we eat now. Organic vegetables not be as good looking, but our bodies will love us for eating them.

A new study published in Environmental Health Perspectives from the University of Maryland shows that organic farms have lower levels of drug-resistant enterococci bacteria in livestock.

Amy Sapkota, along with and her team, looked at 10 intensive poultry farms and 10 organic chicken houses. They checked for enterococci bacteria in chicken litter, feed, and the water, and found that organic farms could have lower levels of drug-resistant bacteria The study also says resistance was checked in 17 common antimicrobials.

Amy Sapkota said: “We initially thought we would see some differences in on-farm
levels of antibiotic-resistant enterococci when poultry farms transitioned to organic practices, but we were surprised to see that the differences were so significant across several different classes of antibiotics even in the very first flock of birds that was produced after the transition to organic standards.”

This confirms what the organic farmers, and green farming folk have been saying for years. It seems quite obvious that if poultry is allowed to free range naturally with space , you get out, and if we want healthy chicken meat and sunshine they will be healthier – it does not take rocket science. What you put in, is what you get out. If you want healthy chicken meat then organic poultry farming is the only way to go! Chicken farmers who over medicate their chickens are creating problems through out the supply chain – from eggs to meat, to the environment. Say no to poultry antibiotics, say no to caged poultry farming, say no to our foods being contaminated for money.

Organic chickens must eat organic food

Organic chicken food is not available in South Africa. All chicken feed in South Africa uses grains from South Africa, and all South African grain is contaminated by GMO’s. With the result that anyone planning to grow organic poultry or organic eggs must grow their own organic chicken feed. PGSSA, the South African branch of PGS (Participatory Guarantee Systems) is busy drafting regulations and standards for South Africa. Due to the fact that GMO is so prevalent in South Africa, PGSA may allow chicken food to contain GMO when raising chickens. This would mean that many chicken farmers in South Africa may begin to provide eggs and chickens that are as close to organic as is possible in South Africa. As soon as Organic chicken food is available the standard will be changed. And until the world swings in favour of sustainable farming practises across all farming sectors and embraces thegreen economy, no amount of small farmers doing organic farming will help.

Farming Organic chickens in South Africa is very difficult. There are no suppliers of chicken feed that make a truly organic feed – all food supplied has, or uses, GMO. This presents a major challenge for organic chicken farmers. The only solution is for farmers to grow their own organic food, and organic vegetables for the chickens.

African breed

Organic chickens can eat any crop that fits the criteria of organic food. The types of crops that can be grown are numerous – chickens will eat almost any vegetables and some fruits. As organic chickens must be allowed to free range, the chickens will also have a diet of natural weeds, insects and other small creatures like lizards. Chickens will even eat small field mice.

African Chicken

When it comes to using GMO crops to feed organic Chickens, the same argument would apply – If the chickens are eating GMO, then so are the consumers of poultry.
The argument put forward by biotechnology companies that genetic engineering is like traditional cross breeding, is false. Safety issues associated with genetically engeneered livestock and foodstuffs are numerous. The method of genetic engineering (GE) is in no way the same as the natural biological processes that traditional breeding uses – these depend on natural plant reproductive methods.

When developing genetically modified crops or foodstuffs,  we cannot at at this time, know if there are any unknown risks to the earth or to humans health when producing GM crops or eating GM food. We do not know the effects and do not know if they can be reversed; GMOs, once introduced into the enviroment, quite possibly cannot be controlled!

Genetic engineering  – the lie
Statements made by the biotechnology companies are untrue, genetic engineering is not like traditional cross breeding. There are many safety concerns associated with it. The process of genetic engineering (GE) is completely different to the natural biological processes used in traditional breeding which rely on natural plant reproductive methods.

Genetic engineering is a science that tries to move aspecific  characteristic from one natural animal or plant to another. They do this by by inserting the gene which controls this function in its natural environment, into the genetic code of the host. The science is badly flawed.

• Genes do not operate in isolation, as a result no-one can predict how the gene that is being inserted will affect and be affected by its new environment. The relationships between the genes are not fully understood and are ignored in current agricultural genetic engineering. This means that those involved in developing GMOs have no way of knowing what the side effects of inserting the gene will be
• In addition, there is no means of inserting the gene into a specific place, so its eventual location is random. As a result of these unknown factors, unpredicted side effects occur routinely with genetic engineering.
• The process of genetic engineering is very imprecise and many attempts have to be made before an apparently normal functioning plant is produced.
• Those specimins which have no identifiable side effects when GMOs can also be unstable from generation to generation, resulting in unforeseen side effects

As with food froduction in the form of crops, pest control and fertizers – Chickens are subject to the same rsiks – and of course those risks are passed to the consumer of eggs and poultry.

GMO – Genetically modified foods and the effect on human health

Risks of GMO
No one really knows what the outcome of the widespread use of genetic engineering will be. We do know, however, that this process can produce unforeseen side effects and that it is virtually impossible to prevent the spread of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) once introduced into the environment.

The benefits that are put forward by GMO companies

This substantial risk must be weighed against any possible benefits that the technology could bring. Great claims have been made for the benefits that this technology will deliver, however, there is serious doubt as to whether GE will actually fulfill this promise. It is also apparent that for those problems it is claimed to address there are already far more sustainable solutions available. The only clear beneficiaries will be the patent holders and the biotechnology companies.

The answer is that if you wish to farm with chickens and poultry, whether producing eggs or broilers – if you want to be called organic, you cannot use any GMO products. The feed that is given to the chickens must be organic and you need to ensure the entire supply chain is free of GMO.

Organic eggs are easily available in South Africa. Most of the large chain stores sell free range eggs, a few of them sell organic eggs. These eggs are more expensive than battery eggs (eggs grown in layer cages using battery farming techniques). To call an egg organic or free range there are certain criteria which must be followed – through out the supply chain. The most important part is the growing and raising of the poultry. Free range eggs are not the same as organic eggs. Many people are ignorant to this fact and presume that they are the same. All organic eggs are free range but free range eggs or free range poultry is not organic. Organic means that the entire supply chain, form food, production, transport, care and housing is all organic.

Organic Farming is a very strictly monitored process and it is not a simple thing to become organically certified. It is relatively easy to call your eggs or chickens free range – this means that the poultry and layers or broilers have access tho the outside – fresh air and sunshine. They are allowed to forage naturally – but the food and medication you give them can be harmful to both humans and chickens. Obviously one cannot use factory farming techniques such as layer cages, as these are where chickens are kept cooped for the life of the bird. Free Range chickens will be kept in a free range chicken house – this is a poultry houses that allows the chickens access to the outside environment.

Layer cages cannot be used in free range egg farming. They also cannot be used when organic chicken farming. You will need to use nest boxes in your poultry house if you are growing organic eggs. Broilers will need access to light and air and have access to the outside most of the time. Free range and organic are not the same – although organic chickens are also free range poultry. The poultry equipment used in free range farming and in organic chicken farming is, in most cases the same. Some techniques, such as de-beaking are not allowed. Cramming 15 or 20 birds per square meter is a no no – most of it is common sense – how would you treat a pet – with care and love – this is what most of the science of free range and organic poultry is based on.