The harvesters' maximum dimensions are: Height 2.03m, Width 1.67m , Length 2.65m 2x200ml solid rubber wheels make it easy to manoeuvre, allowing harvesting wherever required. It may also be fitted with a draw bar attachment to hook up behind a tractor etc.

The harvester is manufactured from steel, which is then sand blasted, etch primed and powder coated. (All sheeting except the cone is zinc annealed, adding to life of machine.)

The shute is designed to hold a full broccoli box of bedding material, which is then fed manually into the rotating cylinder. The perforated cylinder, or trommel, is driven by a single-phase motor via a worm drive gearbox. The motor is connected to a variable speed control box to enable the speed control necessary for the variety of bedding being harvested. This variable control unit is positioned directly above the motor- gearbox for ease of operation, and is secured within a steel cabinet.

Once the machine is running, saleable worms are separated from the vermicast at the cone end, with juveniles, capsules and fine cast being collected from the side shute.

The harvester can be hosed down at the end of the job, as the whole unit can withstand water.

The motor/ gearbox has a fire hose rating, and the 15amp power inlet is waterproof.

If it is likely to be hired out, an additional safety feature that we recommend is wiring in a shut off switch at the feed end. Harvesters must be wired by a licensed electrician.

The Impact Worm Harvester is capable of processing around a quarter tonne of bedding per hour. In a well-stocked worm bed, you should expect to sort 8 to 10 kilos of saleable worm per hour.

Plans for the harvester are available at AUD$120 for "owner builders". This is for a one off machine, not for sale or profit. An area agreement may be available if you wish to manufacture harvesters for sale.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Undoubtedly, the most common emails are:

I want to find out all about worm farming- what can you tell me (for nothing!)

How do I get started?

Is there any money in worm farming - what are the costs to set up?

There is of course plenty of variation on that theme, but it all comes down to the same thing.

We'll give you some information to cover these, but please remember you need educational material you can refer to regularly. Any business needs a lot of knowledge to go into setting it up and running it successfully.

The videos that we promote "A Practical Guide to Worm Farming", parts 1, 2 and 3 cover every aspect of the industry. They are packed with useful information and money saving ideas which guide you from the initial thought of beginning a worm farm right through to being able to set up a waste management project. Practical experience along the way is essential and there will never be any substitute for that.