Worm Power Secures $900,000 Grant from USDA to Accelerate Production of its Sought-After Sustainable, Earthworm-Fueled Fertilizer

New York–based company set to expand facility, advance production methods to meet growing customer demand for its breakthrough vermicomposting products

AVON, N.Y., Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Worm Power, the worldwide leader in vermicompost products, announced today that the company has been selected to receive $900,000 in federal grant funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The grant, which is part of the Fertilizer Production Expansion Program (FPEP), will provide Worm Power the funds needed to expedite expansion plans at the company's ten-acre vermicomposting fertilizer facility in Avon, N.Y., as well as optimize manufacturing processes to enhance production levels and global product availability.

"We're already an established global leader in this space, so we're ready to take on the next phase of Worm Power. There is no denying there is an incredibly high demand for all-natural, organic fertilizers and biostimulants," said Managing CEO, Patrick Burke. "Whether growers are looking to improve food production, increase crop nutrient intake or reduce overall carbon footprint, customers are coming to us because they hear we have an innovative, yet proven solution. Once we increase our production – potentially tenfold – we'll be able to increase access to our products, meet that customer demand and provide a vital pathway to more sustainable farming practices."

The Worm Power team is set to increase production of its signature product, vermicompost, a soil additive that is produced by leveraging the digestive power of earthworms. The company's product, which is considered an industry disruptor for both its production method and results, is helping to improve crop yield and plant performance. The solution has been validated both in the field and in academia, garnering significant interest from investors and a broad spectrum of customers from commercial agriculture, turf management and cannabis and other high-value horticulture crops, as well as hobby farmers.

Worm Power boasts the largest process-controlled vermicompost operation in North America, utilizing tens of millions red wigglers on a daily basis throughout its expansive property. With the funding now secured, Worm Power will make a series of facility upgrades including purchasing and modernizing its equipment, constructing additional product and storage buildings, and enhancing site access at the farm to improve on-site loading and shipping processes. The total project is estimated to cost more than $1.8 million and will help Worm Power bring its product to market at an accelerated pace.

Burke adds, "Our forward-thinking ownership group is fully committed to the ongoing investment in Worm Power, but with the help of the USDA's grant, we'll be potentially hitting production goals 18 months ahead of schedule. On top of that, we're working hand-in-hand with a family-owned dairy. When our production increases to those higher levels, we're simulatenously changing the economic fortune of that family farm, which we all know family farms play such a critical role in the economy."

The FPEP grants, authorized by the CCC Charter Act and administered by USDA's Rural Business‐Cooperative Service (RBCS), were made available by the Biden-Harris administration to help increase American-made fertilizer production, spur competition and combat price hikes affecting U.S. farmers. The program aims to support independent suppliers such as Worm Power, which make sustainable, farmer-focused and innovative fertilizer products. Worm Power has committed to match the USDA's grant by the required 40 percent.

To learn more about Worm Power, visit www.wormpower.net. 

About Worm Power

Since 2003, Worm Power has been the world leader in organic vermicompost products, helping growers improve crop yield and plant performance through increased root development and plant nutrient uptake.  For more information about Worm Power's innovative products visit www.wormpower.net.

Media Contact:
Jenny LePore
PR Director, The Martin Group
jlepore@martingroupmarketing.com
469-552-4039

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SOURCE Worm Power