Gorham resident Jock Robie, who spreads the word of the importance of vermaculture through his passion, hobby, and outreach program, Mainely Worm Bins, was nominated and selected to receive a 2019 ecomaine Eco-Excellence Award.
A panel of ecomaine board members selected Robie from dozens of nominations. The committee took note of his commitment to reducing landfill waste through vermiculture, and through promoting the benefits to so many residents in ecomaine communities. His efforts were seen as an exemplary model of the effectiveness, increased awareness, community impact, and ease of replication that the award program aims to recognize.
In recognition of his accomplishments, he and his nominators were honored at an awards ceremony and luncheon on March 26.
Photo credit Roger MarchandJock Robie received an Eco-Excellence Award by ecomaine for his business, Mainely Worm Bins. Shown at a recent awards ceremony (left to right) are: John Van Dis, Jock Robie, John Henson, Sue Robie, Lynn Rutter, ecoMaine board member Caleb Hempill, Peggy Marchand, Brett Willard, and Corinne Altham.
Robie, who trained as a chemical engineer, became interested in Vermacomposting as a hobby upon his retirement. He started his first worm bin in 2008. He now makes presentations throughout Maine about the value of vermacomposting as a community service. At the end of each presentation, he gives attendees, free of cost, a complete worm bin setup, including worms, as well as an invitation to have him join them in harvesting their bins, and show them how to use the worm castings for use in their gardens or houseplants.
He has made hundreds of presentations, and given away even more hundreds of worm bin kits, and of course thousands of red wriggler worms. He continues to work with those to whom he has given worm bins with support in harvesting the worm castings, making worm tea, and consultation in making sure that they have success with their worm bins.
Robie stated that Mainely Worm Bins is really a network of people that all help him to spread the word about worm composting. In this network are people that help him maintain his worm farm and keep him supplied with the materials used in the worm farm, the workshops and the harvests. There are also sponsors who do all the advertising, provide the venue and bring in the audience for a workshop.
There are hundreds of individuals, and teachers who have taken on the responsibility to maintain worm bins. Each worm bin takes out of the waste stream an average of about 75 pounds of wet garbage a year that would otherwise go into the incinerator at ecomaine. This wet garbage does not make for good fuel and once it is burned the nutrients in that garbage are hauled off to landfill and wasted. Every worm bin that recycles those nutrients puts them back into the soil to grow another generation of plants.
Robie is grateful to all those willing worm workers who are helping to spread the word about composting with worms and the benefits to ourselves, our communities and our planet.