Seven months later, a blog post!

A lot of things have happened since my last post. Let me list them in a concise manner:

• My worm bin was retired and the vermicompost donated to my parents' garden. I spent an afternoon sifting worms out of some very nice, dark compost. Of the 500 worms I began with, I found 50 or so remaining. I do not believe the beneficial nematodes were beneficial to me. I will not purchase again. Maybe they didn't hurt, but I don't think they helped either.
• I visited a farm in Ogdensburg, Pa that sells worm castings. Soil Secret only feeds cow manure to their worms. They house the worm operation in the basement of the barn and keep it pretty simple. It was a nice reminder for me that simple is best. I tend to over-complicate and ultimately need to edit my plans down. This setup works really nicely for them. 
• In August, I quit my 9-5 (or rather 12-9) job and moved everything back to Pa. My mom was a trooper and helped me pack up Dad's truck, and we crossed the GW Bridge for the last time for a long time. (A moving company was also hired. I'm not completely crazy...yet.)
• September: The Mother Earth News Fair out at Seven Springs. On the list of exciting events, quitting/moving was number one, and this was a close second. I had my schedule highlighted and I agonized over having to pick one seminar over another when I had two (or three) happening at the same time. I went to two of Tradd Cotter's mushroom seminars and bought an oyster mushroom log as well as his book. His studies on mycoremediation were astounding. He's developing soil cleanup solutions -- be it oil spills, pesticides, herbicides -- in the form of fungi. I'm kicking around a few ideas to possibly incorporate fungi into my bioconversion setup. Another huge takeaway for me was the use of Chinese greenhouses. I regret not purchasing Dan Chiras' book while I was there since it seems to be unavailable now. The concept is very simple: north wall is a thermal mass with plastic curved down to the ground. During the day, light radiates in and the thermal mass absorbs the heat. At night, the heat radiates back. I want to do this so bad that I have longingly looked at a forgotten pile of cinder blocks. Another heating idea: rocket mass heaters. If anything, it looks like a fun project but I think it could also be a useful heating method for my operation. I also attended a "power of worms" seminar. The seminar was packed, but I was one of only a handful of younger people. All in all, it was a great experience. I will go back. 
• The black soldier fly larvae were ordered in late September -- 1 pound/2500 larvae -- and the larvae bin was up and running. More on this later.
• More worms were ordered in mid October. I ordered 2000 red wigglers exactly 11 months from when I ordered my original worms. 
• December: the larvae bin was shut down due to extreme cold and inability to efficiently heat it. The worm bin was relocated to the basement. 

I have been very satisfied with my decision to leave. It was difficult leaving some good friends on Long Island, but I'm optimistic that I will see them again. I wasn't happy there. I felt trapped and overwhelmed, like I was fighting through a crowd, walking the wrong way on a one-way sidewalk. Meanwhile, a line from the movie "Wild" haunted me:

There is a sunrise and a sunset every day and you can choose to be there for it. You can put yourself in the way of beauty.

This is my goal every day. It is easier for me to achieve now, and I've felt a peace in my soul because of it.