1008 - Worm Castings, Compost & Regenerative Gardening

In this Episode - What if the key to growing healthier, more productive gardens isn’t more fertilizer, but healthier living soil? Ben Lederer, co-founder of Regenerative Soil Company in North Phoenix, joins Greg to explore how compost, worm castings, mulch, and beneficial biology can transform the soil beneath your garden. You’ll learn simple ways to start composting, use kitchen scraps and chickens to build a regenerative cycle, and improve your soil while reducing reliance on synthetic inputs. Ben and Greg also share practical ideas for taking one small step toward a healthier garden and a more resilient community. Our Guest: Ben is the co-founder of Regenerative Soil Company, a small batch amendment company based in North Phoenix. A longtime gardener, chicken keeper, and compost enthusiast, Ben is passionate about helping people grow healthier plants naturally through worm castings, regenerative gardening practices, and living soil biology. He also works in turf grass management and enjoys teaching practical, approachable ways to build healthy soil at home Key Topics Ben Lederer Regenerative Soil Company Worm castings Living soil biology Regenerative gardening Composting Green mulch and cowpeas Chickens and backyard food systems Local soil amendments Turf grass and soil management Permaculture and closed-loop gardening Arizona Worm Farm Community gardening The Worm Farmer’s Handbook Key Questions Answered How did Ben Lederer get into regenerative gardening and soil health? Ben grew up watching his parents garden and became fascinated by how plants grow. His experience in landscaping and turf grass management eventually led him to question conventional practices and look for ways to build healthier soil naturally. What are worm castings, and why are they useful in the garden? Worm castings are worm-processed organic material that contains microbes and nutrients. Ben describes them as a gentle organic fertilizer that can help plants grow stronger and handle environmental stress, while Greg shares his experience using them to reduce heat and transplant stress. What are some natural ways to improve garden soil? Ben recommends compost, worm castings, mulch, and green mulch. These practices can add organic matter, support soil biology, retain moisture, moderate soil temperature, and improve conditions for future plantings. How can cowpeas function as green mulch? Cowpeas help cover the soil, keep it cooler, and contribute nitrogen through their relationship with soil biology. At the end of the season, Ben recommends cutting the plants down and leaving the roots in the soil so they decompose in place. How can a beginner start composting at home? Ben says the simplest approach is to establish a compost pile in an appropriate area of the yard. A basic compost system needs a balance of nitrogen-rich “greens” and carbon-rich “browns,” along with moisture and occasional turning. How can gardeners get enough green material for compost? Ben suggests building relationships with neighbors and offering to collect their kitchen scraps. Providing neighbors with a five-gallon bucket gives them an easy way to contribute food waste while helping the gardener build compost. How do chickens, compost, and gardening form a regenerative cycle? Chickens can eat kitchen scraps, produce manure for the compost pile, and help turn and work through compost. The resulting compost feeds the garden, which produces more food and food scraps, creating a useful cycle between animals, compost, soil, and plants. Why does Ben emphasize buying soil amendments locally? Ben says local compost and soil products are more likely to retain active microbial life because they have not spent long periods sitting on a store shelf. He encourages gardeners to seek out local compost and soil producers. What does Ben see as the role of competition among local worm farms? Ben views other worm farms as potential complements rather than competitors. He believes there is ample demand for locally produced worm castings and that collaboration can help more gardeners succeed. What did Ben learn from personal setbacks? Ben describes rebuilding his life after struggling with drugs and alcohol as a teenager and young adult. He says the experience taught him resilience, responsibility, and accountability, and that those lessons now influence how he approaches agriculture and business. What book does Ben recommend for people interested in vermicomposting? He recommends The Worm Farmer’s Handbook by Rhonda Sherman, particularly for its detailed treatment of vermicomposting and producing worm castings at a larger scale. Key Takeaways Worm castings provide organic matter, nutrients, and microbial life for the garden. Composting kitchen scraps can reduce waste while building healthier soil. Mulch helps protect soil from heat and moisture loss. Cowpeas can provide living ground cover and leave valuable roots in the soil after the growing season. Chickens can become part of a closed-loop backyard food system. Building relationships with neighbors can solve the challenge of sourcing compost ingredients. Local soil amendments can help gardeners access fresher, biologically active materials. Gardening success comes from learning, experimenting, and accepting that some plants will fail. Ben sees collaboration among local producers as a way to strengthen gardening communities. Small actions, such as starting a compost pile, can contribute to stronger communities. Episode Highlights Ben describes growing up fascinated by backyard gardening and eventually bringing together his experiences in gardening, landscaping, and turf grass management. Worm castings are introduced as a low-risk organic fertilizer rich in microbial life. Compost, worm castings, and mulch form the foundation of Ben’s approach to improving soil naturally. Cowpeas can cover large areas, cool the soil, contribute nitrogen, and leave decomposing roots behind when cut down. Ben explains how chickens, compost, gardens, food scraps, and eggs can work together as a backyard regenerative cycle. Ben shares how his personal recovery taught him resilience and accountability and shaped his approach to building a regenerative business. Ben discusses why he sees Arizona Worm Farm as a complement rather than a competitor and why local worm-casting production matters. Ben’s final advice: pursue your dreams, start small, get your hands dirty, and recognize that individual actions can make a difference. Calls to Action & Resources Regenerative Soil Company — https://regenerativesoilco.com Instagram — https://instagram.com/regenerativesoilco Email — [email protected] Urban Farm Podcast Show Notes — https://urbanfarm.org/regenerativesoilco Book — The Worm Farmer’s Handbook by Rhonda Sherman Visit www.urbanfarm.org/regenerativesoilco for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library! Need a little bit of advice or just a feedback on your design for your yard or garden? The Urban Farm Team is offering consults over the phone or zoom. Get the benefits of a personalized garden and yard space analysis without the cost of trip charges. You can chat with Greg or choose one of the senior members of our Urban Farm team to get permaculture based feedback. Click HERE to learn more! *Disclosure: Some of the links in our podcast show notes and blog posts are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, we will earn a nominal commission at no cost to you. 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