I already gave my opinions on pre-rotting in another recent thread. You can look it up. We don't all agree on the subject.

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/verm/msg0220570514729.html?16

If you freeze, I don't see the point of pre-rotting. I would not rot then freeze. It does not make any sense. Just how much do you want to handle rotten kitchen scraps? I would freeze, then feed directly to the worms. Freezing will facilitate faster decomposition in the bin for many (most?) kitchen scraps. It also helps prevent fruit flies and fungus gnats.

The best first week foods are aged horse manure and partially finished thermophilic compost. Otherwise, anything that is soft and mushy. If you are not opposed to buying something, how about canned pumpkin? I have not tried it, but I understand that worms love it.

If you have a neighbor who tosses his grass clippings over the fence, you can dig through the pile to find the black, crumbly stuff near the bottom of the pile. That makes good first week food.

If you want more ideas, the first page of the archives has a thread entitled Your worm's top 5 favorite foods.

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/verm/msg1118181019695.html?19

The Summary of questions helps:

1) Details on 'rotting containter' (material/lid/airflow/etc) With holes in the lid it is a Black Solider Fly Larvae Bin. With no holes I would hope you would add some bokashi to pickle the waste. Otherwise opening the container might not be wise. Plastic seems good enough for our uses. Or something free.

2) Freezing before or after rotting? Well do you want rot in your freezer?

3) good 'first week' foods? Something that has been composting for two weeks such as horse manure and bedding or kitchen scraps, egg cartons and a bit of forest duff.

4) Placement of the rotting bin, near warmth? Do you want to attract "friends" inside out outside?

sbryce,
I have indeed seen those two threads, and I have read through them!
Handeling rotten kitchen scraps doesnt bother me at all. I have noticed that people do differ on freeze vs rot.

I have no access to horse manure (not before I get my worms, anyway). I may see if my mom has any old canned pumpkin... she buys in bulk in the holidays, and normally has some left over!

We have a pile of old grass clippings around some trees... I may dig through that and grab some! Thanks for the ideas!

EQ2,
(can I call you that? I saw others calling you that in past threads...),
Well, So with a lid is bad, and without a lid is bad. And no rot in the freezer, and not putting it near warmth.... if I had to guess, I would say you are not a fan of the pre-rot method!
Ive looked into the bokashi, but I dont think its gonna work out for me currently.

Honestly, I have a baggie of frozen (not rotted) scraps in my freezer already. and It would be easier for me to not rot... I was just going to try it out.

So a container that closes, but I shouldnt keep it closed all the time, right? Thats sorta the idea I am getting. And one of the posts mentioned keeping things in the sun to help rot, so that sorta answers my 'warmth' question... I am just compiling data for things to try out!

And what exactly is 'forest duff'? Would that be the layer of partially rotted stuff below the top layer of leaves? Where all the squirmys hang out? (No pine needles, correct?)

Thanks both for helping me out! Your information is invaluable!

You understand forest duff correctly.

Freezing should do 95% of what you are trying to accomplish without having to explain to skeptical family members why you have kitchen scraps rotting in a bucket. VS zero electricity use for the bucket method.

I freeze and have, from day one. I usually keep a container of food waste in the frig, and when it's full, chop it and put in containers in the freezer. They're usually in one spot in the freezer, I actually have an allocated bucket in the freezer for food for the lads.

We live in an apartment and I do not want fruit flies. Freezing is great......no fruit flies and a speedy breakdown of the food. Just that in a colander in the sink and give to the worms.

You don't need to bother with a container in the frig. If you've got a lot of food/trimmings, put it right in your freezer container.

It sounds to me like freezing is the best way in my limited-space apartment, and that is actually what i have started to do. I have a ziploc that i just throw my food scraps in....... but i dont even have my worms yet! 12 days left and counting....

Thanks!

You may still need to explain to family members why you keep kitchen waste in the freezer.

I assume form your first post that you are obtaining your worms and bin at the same time. That is unfortunate. Setting up the bin with food about a week ahead of the worms helps provide some worm-ready food for the worms when they arrive. But if you are pre-freezing kitchen scraps, it will not take long for the food to be worm-ready. If you have some way to grind it up, that will also help. But none of that is necessary. Your worms will be fine, if a little hungry for a while.

The class I am attending is at a Worm Ranch business. I would assume that I am putting the bin together, but I dont know for sure. Although my class is scheduled, I am not getting any email responses about the details (Ive asked about the SIZE of the bin. No response.)
However, I would hope that the company will have worm food 'set up' and ready to go when I obtain the bin, rather than leaving me to fend on my own. That being said, I always prepare. So I will have some food/cardboard mix that will have been sitting for a few days, so I can throw that in when I bring it home.

As for grinding up, I was planning a trip to a 'charity resale shop', in hopes that I can find some food processors for cheap. (among anything else I could use for the vermies.)

I had an old hand-cranked meat grinder that did a great job. The meat grinder had a plate on the opening that the meat would be forced through to obtain its hamburger-like consistency. I found that this plate was not necessary, as just running the food scraps through the auger was sufficient to grind them up. The plate often jammed if tough or fibrous scraps (banana peels, onion peels) were forced through it. Grinding some scraps (potatoes) was easier of they were frozen. With the grinder, I could even feed avocado pits.

"With the grinder, I could even feed avocado pits." Bet that was fun. Grinding them up must be way more satisfying than the fun of popping them back on top of the bin after reharvesting them a few times.

well, sbryce, I will have to look into a hand crank grinder... I sure there is one around somewhere...... Although I will have banana peels.... but I do cut them up before freezing.... perhaps the smaller size would help?

I do have a mechanical grass juicer... put the grass in, it spins around and squeezes the juice out, expelling extra pulp.... but I dont know if it could handle regular vegetables... let alone frozen!

Although, havent you said (in another thread) that you gave up the grinding because it wasnt worth the extra effort? Or was that just once the bins were established? .... or am I thinking of someone else?

to be honest, I dont even know what the inside of an avocado pit looks like.... never thought of it before.