Olivier Laude
Worm Farming
Jack Chambers of Sonoma Valley Worm Farm sells worm-produced compost to local wineries. He also sells live worms, mostly red wrigglers, and bags of compost to customers in Northern California.
“People either love worms or they don’t. There’s no middle ground, for boys, girls, men, women. I’ve had vineyard guys come over and not want to put their hands in a worm bin. But people want to make a difference, and worms can be part of the solution. I had a customer come in who had just had a baby. The woman didn’t like worms, but she bought some because she wanted her baby to grow up in a world where we recycle. She wanted to make a better world
for her child, and that has always stuck with me.”
WHERE: Sonoma, Calif.
EMPLOYEES: 4
REVENUES: $100,000
HOW HE DID IT: Chambers, a captain for Delta Air Lines, was an avid gardener looking for worms when he came across the worm farm. The owner was ready to retire, so Chambers bought the farm in 1992 for $350,000.
SOMMELIER OF SORTS: The majority of the worm farm’s business is with high-end wineries, which buy vermicompost tea—a liquid brew produced by worms and microbes—to help boost growth without resorting to chemicals. Chambers’ clients include Turley Wine Cellars, Quintessa Wine, Harlan Estate, and Chateau Montelena Winery. Chambers also has his own small vineyard.
POUNDWISE: Chambers sells 3,000 pounds of red wrigglers every year, each of which can process about 25% of their body weight a day in food. A two-pound box of worms sells for $49.50. A 20-pound bag of compost is $20.
