Could mealworms help make local food systems more sustainable?

By Hailey Morgan
Published: May. 31, 2024 at 2:26 PM EDT

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - Vermont’s Farm to Plate Network is working to create a more sustainable food system as part of a region-wide effort to increase New England’s food production by 30% by 2030. One of the more unconventional ways to achieve that goal might be through mealworms.

“Humans have been eating insects since before we were humans. So, it’s really one of the more natural foods our there,” said Patrick Shafer, a University of Vermont grad student as he showed off one of his favorite snacks.

He says he uses mealworms in baked goods for extra protein. Mealworm byproduct, known as frass, can also be used as a more sustainable fertilizer. “We grow all of this food that we end up throwing away. All of that stuff is perfect for mealworms. Vegetable matter type waste, that’s what the mealworm diet is. There is just so many opportunities to recycle that food waste into sustainable protein,” Shafer said.

Shafer gets mealworm compost from what’s believed to be the state’s only mealworm farm in Braintree, called Vermont Mealworm Farm. Bob Simpson converted the property from a dairy farm to a mealworm farm. “There’s no waste with mealworms. The only thing we throw away sometimes is, when the mealworms get older they don’t eat up all their french fries and we throw a few potatoes away. Other than that, everything is something when you’re raising mealworms.”))

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