In Conversation - Composting with "The Worm Monger" Hannah Churton Saturday 20 July

Saturday 20 July

In this" In Conversation" we are talking with Hannah Churton about her educational platform teaching us how to compost our food waste with worms from home.

Hannah will talk to us about food waste – how we can reduce it (by eating the food that we buy) and how we can dispose of it responsibly when we do waste it (by returning its nutrients to life in the soil). 

Food sustains life. For Hannah, there is nothing more rewarding than the understanding that even in her own little way, she can be a participant in this glorious cycle of
returning the goodness of the food that nourishes us back into the earth that sustains us. 

With over 1.3 billion tons of food being wasted each year, wasted food amounting to over $1 trillion of loss and wastage annually and a total of 3.3 billion tons of CO2 being produced by food waste yearly, we would like to help you understand a simple way you can help our planet.

Worming and composting our food waste at home, it's like giving the earth a bit of a hug. It's an absolute game-changer for the planet, and here’s why.

First off, when you're composting, you're taking all those kitchen scraps, the veg peelings, the fruit leftovers, and instead of throwing them into the bin where they'd end up in landfill, you're giving them a new lease of life. In landfills, this organic waste breaks down anaerobically (without oxygen), producing methane, which is a greenhouse gas with a warming potential many times that of carbon dioxide.

Now, enter the fantastic world of worming and composting at home. What this does is it turns your food waste into this beautiful, nutrient-rich compost, right through aerobic decomposition. This process doesn't produce methane. Instead, it gives us compost that is like gold for the garden. It improves soil health, structure, water retention, and provides a fantastic source of nutrients for plants.  

A beautiful circle of life moment, where waste isn't really waste at all; it's a resource.

By composting, you're also reducing the need for chemical fertilizers, which can be harmful to our waterways and wildlife. It's all about working with nature, not against it. You're encouraging biodiversity, supporting local ecosystems, and every little bit of composting helps in fighting soil degradation. By popping your food waste into a compost bin or a worm farm, you're actively contributing to soil health, reducing greenhouse gases, and supporting a more sustainable system of food production and waste management. It's a simple action, right at home, and the impact is massive. It's empowering, knowing you're part of the solution, making a positive change for the planet.

And let's not forget, it's a bit of fun too, getting your hands dirty, getting involved with the cycle of life. It's something the whole family can get involved in, teaching valuable lessons about sustainability and responsibility for our environment. 

About Hannah

Hannah Churton, AKA 'The Worm Monger', is a community development professional with a penchant for 1) sustainable food; 2) getting her hands dirty; and 3) creating upbeat community vibes. When COVID all but forced her industry to shut down, she saw an opportunity to marry these great loves and started a compost hub and verge garden from the confines of her home.

'The Worm Monger' is an educational platform that documents her community composting journey, riots against household food waste and advocates for reduced organic waste to landfill. She has now gone 'full tilt' on her food waste passion and is studying a PhD focused on turning horticultural food waste into high-value products (like pharmaceuticals, vitamins and plant-based 'plastics'). 

The conversation will commence at 10:00am, followed by a light lunch. 

Hannah and the team at Moonacres look forward to seeing you soon.