*** The New Worm Farming Alliance – Fall 2015***
From the desk of: Bentley “Compost Guy” Christie
Worm Farming Educator & Entrepreneur
Spring, 2017
Dear Worm Enthusiast,
If you’ve made it to this page, I’m guessing you have a pretty serious interest in worm farming.
Many of you are likely planning to start up some form of worm farming business.
(Or you already have one, and you’re ready to take things to the next level)
Some are likely thinking about starting up a large-scale vermicomposting project at a school, place of work, or some other organization.
And undoubtedly, there are more than a few of you who – like a lot of other WFA members – want to get more serious with worms on the home front. Turning more “wastes” into the world’s finest compost (yes, I am a tiny bit biased!), getting more serious about “vermigardening” and home food production. Or you’d even like to start up your full-fledged eco-farm.
Whatever your version of “serious” happens to be, you are definitely in the right place.
“What Is The Worm Farming Alliance”?
The group was originally created for those wanting to launch – or further develop – a worm farming business. This is still a major focus – but our member base contains a diversity of people from all walks on life, and with a variety of goals and interests. Plain and simple, if you are interested in moving beyond “hobby level” worm farming, there’s a good chance the WFA is right for you!
“What Makes The WFA So Special?”
For decades, this has been a field well-known for its secrecy. There are no trade journals, or really, any serious publications at all. While you can find a wealth of information on the topic online, much of it is recycled and outdated. A lot more focus has been placed on information and groups geared towards vermicomposting hobbyists.
Over the years, various attempts have been made to form official associations (like those found in other industries), but without much success.
To add insult to injury, the worm farming industry has been plagued by marketing hype and downright scams. Most of this occurred in the 70’s and 80’s, but to this day there are rip-off artists continuing to separate unsuspecting victims from their hard-earned money.
The WFA is unlike ANY other worm farming resource available today!
Not only do you have access to up-to-date training information (on a variety of relevant topics), but you’re also going to be part of an incredibly open, knowledgeable, supportive community – so you can get any questions you have answered, along with double-helpings of encouragement from those on a similar path.
Some time ago, while attempting to distill the WFA down into its key components, I came up with the acronym, M.E.C.C.A.
Mentorship – One of the best ways to reduce your learning curve, save time, and even save money is to find people who are successfully doing what you want to do, and to learn from them. The challenge a lot of the time (especially in less-mainstream fields like worm farming) is actually finding these people.
Education – It’s no secret that expanding your knowledge base is a very important part of getting serious about any field of endeavor. While the web has certainly helped with the spread of information, the problem is that it can be very difficult to determine what’s “high quality” (and reliable) information, and what’s not.
Community – Venturing out on your own – especially when trying to start up a business – can be a lonely, frustrating experience. Having your own “family” of supportive, like-minded people to interact with (as often as you like) can mean the difference between success and failure.
Collaboration – We all have our own unique strengths (skills, background experience, knowledge etc) and resources. With each passing day it’s becoming more and more important to find and work with others who have complementary strengths and resources. You know what they say about being a “Jack of All Trades”! 😉
Advancement – Naturally, the first step – and a critical step – is focusing on our own worm farming journey, and working to achieve some level of success in that realm. But ultimately, we need to think “big picture”. After all, the more we do to help to “spread the worm”, the brighter the future for all of us (and of course, the world in general).
M.E.C.C.A represents the areas of major focus and importance for the Worm Farming Alliance. Acting as a sort of “core guidance system” to help us continue moving in the right direction.
I’ll be the first to admit that some areas – such as “Advancement” – need more attention than others. But we’ve still built a strong foundation upon which to really take things to the next level and beyond!
Taking the distillation process even further, you might say that our 3 major “pillars” are: Community, Education, and Opportunity.
“WFA helped me a lot…” “WFA helped me a lot since I joined. Got very good ideas, opinions, advice, and help on the business side. Meet people that are on the same size and the same mindset on worm farming.”
~ Andy Loy
“The investment has been so worth it.”
“I am so glad I did the WFA even running on a skinny shoestring. The investment has been so worth it. Thanks Bentley!”~ Deborah Hartley
Missoula MT
“How Do I Get Involved?”
If there is ONE thing I’ve learned as a result of all my various “launches” and promotions for the WFA, it’s that keeping things a simple as possible is definitely the best way to go!
Now, you can get involved simply by paying your first monthly fee – a mere $7.97!
As long as you remain a member this price will never increase (but the price for new members will continue to rise over time).
On the plus side, this has made the WFA a lot more accessible to a lot more worm farming enthusiasts!
There is strength in numbers, and with each passing month the Worm Farming Alliance gets stronger and stronger thanks to people just like you!
Here’s What You Get With Your WFA “Pro” Subscription
COMMUNITY & COMMUNICATION CHANNELS
– The WFA Forum and Private Facebook Group.
– The WFA e-mail list.
EDUCATION
– The Paley100 Method Guide (and all updates).
– Web Business Training Courses
– Website Creation Training & Resources
– Fun Ways to Make Money with Worms (in progress)
– Fresh monthly content sent via the e-mail list (and posted on the site).
OPPORTUNITY
– U.S. drop-shipping (personal purchasing also available, IF you live in U.S. – see further down) for worms and Worm Inns
– eBook Resale Rights Package (Bootstrap Worm Farming & 80/20 Vermicomposting – once released)
– Affiliate program opportunities
– Marketing and promotion consultations and assistance
– Deals on worms & Worm Inns (primarily applies to U.S. members); 50% off all RWC info products (applies to everyone).
SUPPORT
– Community support + direct access to me. I encourage all members to take advantage of my “open door” e-mail policy.
– Access to special “Worm Phone” support e-mail address. This sends msg directly to my mobile device (and I will get back to you as quickly as I possibly can).
(and you can easily cancel at any time!)
Some More Worm Farming Alliance Member Feedback…
“…thank you so much for helping me to build my website” “It is SO refreshing to be involved with other wormhead novices and professionals alike who freely exchange ideas and advice on the forum and are truly concerned with my success. What a difference this makes! Just the advantage of purchasing worms wholesale (I’ve done this twice so far) is worth the price of membership …thank you so much for helping me to build my website and especially for all the personal help in answering all my silly emails.”
~ Ralph Mills
“…I will continue to be a member for many more years to come.” “I’ve been a member of Worm Farming Alliance since the beginning of 2011. What I like about WFA is the one-on-one’s I have with Bentley. I have had my struggles of building a vermicomposting business every now and then. Bentley has helped see me through any issues I’ve had through all of my trials and tribulations. He has guided me through setting up my website, and even at times going into my website to fix and move things around to make things better…I know I will continue to be a member for many more years to come.”
~ Stephen McGuire
McGuire Organics
“If you ever plan to make a dollar with earthworms, then you absolutely must join Worm Farming Alliance.” “If you ever plan to make a dollar with earthworms, then you absolutely must join Worm Farming Alliance. Without the expertise of the experienced growers of WFA and especially to the marketing insights provided by Bentley himself, I don’t think I would have started the Urban Worm Company.”
~ Steve Churchill
Urban Worm Company
“I’m Serious About Worm Farming But I Don’t Live in United States. Is The WFA Relevant to Me?”
The WFA is a truly GLOBAL community. I myself live in Canada. George Mingin (prominent member and my co-author for “Professional Worm Growing Secrets”) is from Australia, along with a handful of other members.
Off the top of my head, I know we have members from Germany, UK, Ireland, Norway, Spain, Greece, New Zealand, South Africa, Denmark, Philippines…
Yes, most of our members are from the U.S., and yes the U.S. based members have the “advantage” of being able to get great deals on worms and Worm Inn purchases for themselves (all members can drop-ship to U.S. customers), but I am hoping to establish special deals with suppliers in other countries as well.
“What If I Need To Cancel My Subscription?”
*** I stand behind all my products 100%! ***
If you decide that you want/need to cancel your WFA membership at ANY time, it is as easy as dropping me an email and letting me know (you still get to keep any guides etc you received while you were a member).
If, for some strange reason, within your first month you are not absolutely convinced that you’ve received far more than your initial investment of $7.97, let me know and I’ll even refund that (and we can still be friends)!
~ Bentley “Compost Guy” Christie
“OK, I Want In! How Do I Place My Order?”
(and you can easily cancel at any time!)
“Yes Bentley, I Realize…”
- These are digital/online resources. I won’t receive anything in the mail. As such, I will be provided with access very soon after I place my order.
- My monthly subscription fee will NEVER go up (as long as I remain a member) and I will receive all updates/add-ons associated with my package absolutely free.
- I’m risking absolutely NOTHING since I can easily cancel any time I want, and can even get a full refund if I don’t feel I’ve received far more than $7.97 worth within the first 30 days. (If I cancel the monthly plan, I still get to keep all the guides/courses I received with my initial purchase.)
- This is not a “business-on-a-silver-platter” program. There will be plenty of work, and additional expenses involved if I plant to set up a worm farming business.
FAQ
I originally planned to keep the course package as part of the WFA, but I realized it made more sense to offer it separately (since not all WFA members are necessarily interested in it). It can be purchased on its own for $47.
“If I cancel my WFA membership can I re-join at a later time?”
For sure! BUT, there is a decent chance the monthly subscription fee will be higher by that point (i.e. you will have to pay whatever the current monthly rate happens to be).
“What is the “Paley100 Method” Guide?”
This is my summary (with commentary) of the now-legendary (and rather-controversial) article entitled: “How To Breed, Raise, and Maintain A 100-Pound Stock of Worms in a Single Room”, published by Brian Paley back in 1996. The original article is freely available online, but it is HUGE and quite difficult to get through. It contains some incredible information (with pretty massive implications/potential), but also some rather questionable information.
I wanted to make the information a lot more accessible (to WFA members), and to test out my own version of the method(s) so I could create a sort of “follow-along” for members. I have also recorded an audio version of the guide. I just need to edit it before release.
NOTE: I’ve already received some exciting feedback from other members re: their testing and support of Paley-like methods, so it’s definitely getting pretty interesting!
“I refuse to use Facebook. Can I still benefit from joining the WFA?”
Of course! I myself am still iffy about Facebook as a means of sharing my life with a bunch of semi-strangers. But I’ll be honest – I have grown to appreciate the benefits of Facebook groups as a communication channel for communities of like-minded individuals.
The WFA Facebook group is actually what’s known as a “secret group”, which means it doesn’t even exist for the average Facebook user. You could create a basic Facebook account and join our group, and no one other than other WFA Facebook group members would see what you’re posting.
But I don’t want you to feel like this is my secret ploy to get you over to the “dark side” here! lol
We still have WFA members who absolutely will not use Facebook – and I completely respect their decision!
There are plenty of other WFA resources to take advantage of (including the official WFA forum, and main email list), so you certainly won’t miss out on much, if anything.
😎
“Are monthly payments my only option?”
No. You can pay for 3, 6, or 12 months at a time if you prefer (and there are corresponding discounts for doing so).
** Get started today! – WFA PRO **
(and you can easily cancel at any time!)