Dear Friends,

I am not an expert, but did visit TF's operation several years ago and maybe
able to add something to the discussion.

Things may have changed since I was there in 1998, but as I recall they had a
small laboratory at the site where they incubated some biological agent
(don't remember which one).  Waste was brought in and dumped in a large area
at the right of the photo facing the worm sheds.  The bio agent was sprayed
or sprinkled over the fresh garbage and the whole mess mixed once with a
backhoe.  This was left to compost for several days or a week and then turned
again with the heavy equipment once or twice.

When the temperature dropped, the partially decomposed waste was dug out by
hand and carried on women's head in plastic crates to the worm sheds.  When
the long bins were filled the temperature was monitored for some time to make
sure that it didn't heat-up again, before the worms were added to the top.  I
think they said this type of worms were middle feeders - top shitters, so
every few days the surface of the bins were scrapped by hand to remove the
finished casting until the process was finished and the worms transferred to
new bins.

The compost appeared to be very high quality, but the worms are a little bit
difficult to work with.  If the compost heats up they can be cooked, and ants
like to attack and eat the worms also.  On a commercial level, it looked like
a good technology for groups who have already mastered the art of composting.
On a community or home level, it would be appropriate where there is someone
with time to baby the worms and monitor the conditions.

Hope that helps.

Robert Deutsch
Advisor, Community Sanitation and Recycling Organization, Phnom Penh