978: Building the largest worm farm in the U.S. with Zach Brooks

About this episode

Zach Brooks discusses his journey in building one of the largest worm farms in the U.S. and its impact on sustainability and local food systems.

In this Episode Zach Brooks shares how he transformed a barren cotton field into the thriving Arizona Worm Farm which is now one of the largest worm composting operations in the U.S. What began as a personal experiment in sustainability evolved into a regenerative, off-grid-inspired ecosystem that converts waste into soil, food, and community education. Zach explains how worms, compost, and black soldier flies work together to rebuild soil and produce nutrient-dense food. The conversation highlights practical, scalable solutions for local food systems using simple, accessible technologies. Our Guest: Zach semi-retired from healthcare management at the age of 42 when his consulting company went public, and when his first of three grandchildren were born, he went back to Arizona State University to get a second master's degree in sustainability. Frustrated that most causes of climate change were not only fixable, but fixable with off the shelf practices and technology, Zach set out to prove that an off-grid lifestyle could be every bit as comfortable as a wasteful lifestyle and have a positive impact on the environment. And the most exciting thing...Zach has now built Arizona Worm…

People in this episode

Host: Greg Peterson

Guest: Zach Brooks

Topics covered

• worm farming
• sustainability
• composting
• local food systems
• regenerative agriculture

Keywords

• worm farm
• composting
• sustainability
• food waste
• soil health
• black soldier flies
• regenerative agriculture

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Arizona State University

Places: Arizona, U.S., Arizona Worm Farm

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