What makes Good Bug Co Good?

Kia ora! I'm Sarah Wilson and I'm the founder of Good Bug Co based in Lyttelton NZ. It all started with a friend who said that her chickens "did backward flips for mealworm treats". I tried it out with my own chickens and soon they had developed a "habit". I think it is possibly 'crack for Chickens' (kidding). I also noticed that the healthy chickens were producing a very healthy number of eggs - everyone wins! I then looked into breeding mealworms myself and got hooked.

Of course it turned out that it was much harder to consistently breed quality mealworms than I had anticipated. Fast forward a whole year of experimenting (and often failing) with temperature, humidity, escaped beetles in the lounge, and finally building a stand-alone "farm" (a pretty cool shed next to our earthquake shattered house that we are still renovating).

Along this journey I got thinking about the difference a humble little mealworm could make to our big troubled planet. I was clear that the whole process needed to be ethical, environmentally sound and sustainable. So I reached out to Milmore Downs (a local organic grain producer in Canterbury) and they enabled me to source organic bran. I also feed the mealworms with locally sourced carrots or other vegetables - organic as much as possible. I am clear that maximising the "good"ness of my mealworms is key to providing our loved pets with really nourishing food that is also good for the planet.

Mealworms are an amazing source of protein. Producing mealworm protein uses a tiny fraction of the carbon it takes to generate most of the meat protein that we and our animals consume. I'm not suggesting (just yet) that you eat the mealworms - strong ick factor, I get it. Maybe sometime in the future.

And it turns out that the waste (called Frass) that mealworms poo out is also incredible as a fertilizer. There is strong scientific evidence and just to be sure, I tried it out on my own garden. The results surprised even me! My herb garden is now so productive that fresh herbs are on the menu for every meal. That was when the idea of "Garden Gold" came to me - the frass is really like Gold, both in colour and in the results.

The other thing that has created alot of Goodness for me is the people that I have met through mealworms. Case in point is this lovely fellow at the top of this long rant - his name is Magellen and he is a golden bearded dragon. His keeper, Sophie, was an early adopter of the Good Bug Goodness and she shared his adventures and struggles with me - she even has a tattoo of him! He is quite the dude. And I have had the joy of meeting frogs, birds, chickens and even Red Backed Spiders that are in love with mealworms. The Red Backed Spider story involves the "spider lab" at Plant and Food in Lincoln and is a story for another day. But it has reminded me just how much we love the animals we are close to - be they cute and cuddly or spikey. And how that love and nourishment bring joy and goodness to us all.

So, I hope you agree - it is Good for the planet, Good for our pets and truely Good for our hearts :) Sermon finished.