Modified from endi.com Earthworm composting is the controlled decomposition of organic matter using earthworms. The earthworm feeds from the land it lives in, and as it excavates through it deposits its manure in it, making it extremely fertile, far better that the one that could be obtained using artificial fertilizers. The earthworm manure contains 5 times more nitrogen, 7 times more phosphorus, 5 times more potassium and 2 times more calcium than the organic material ingested by the worm. For these reasons earthworm composting offers an excellent alternative for soil conservation, since it obtains benefit from most of the organic wastes generated in a farm. In addition, this practice helps decrease the use of artificial and chemical fertilizers that contaminate our water sources. Organic matter like farm animals manure, "pasture, vegetables, paper and cardboard, are processed in a precompost system of during 30 days so that they cook and pathogens are destroyed." "After that time, the product is taken to earthworms as food. Soon the material defecated by these is extracted, sieved and ready to be used as fertilizer." This technique, which is being used in other countries to dispose of animal manure and other farm wastes, has been approved as a plan for the handling of solid wastes by the Environmental Quality Committee of Puerto Rico. Earthworm composting is an ecological alternative that farmers can adopt as a plan for the handling of solid wastes, thus helping to the conservation of our soils and water sources.