Old McDonald Had a Mealworm? Getting Started with Microlivestock. Insects for Food.

  Posted on January 9, 2015  by insectrecipes  No comments

Do you dream of having your own farm? Do you wish that you could afford more organic, humanely raised protein? Are you pretty sure that the other people in your building would call the cops if you tried to pack a herd of sheep into your apartment?

If you want to raise meat but don’t want to have to think about pasture and barns, it’s time to take a look at microlivestock.  These tiny creatures are excellent sources of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins. They can live off of scraps, they’re easy to raise, and they reproduce quickly.   If you’re looking for a farm that will fit between your blender and your crockpot, you’ll want to raise these incredible, edible creatures.

Of course, we’re not talking about tiny cows and sheep. Microlivestock are insects, a major food source for 1/3 of the world’s population. If you’re serious about reducing your carbon footprint and eating a healthy diet, start a colony or two in your own kitchen.  As the insects as food movement grows, microlivestock habitats could become as ubiquitous as microwaves.

Are you ready to start farming your own insects for food? Here are a few resources to help you get started:

Right now there’s only one counter-top insect farm on the market:  Open Bug Farm. The company is currently selling a beta-version of their mealworm farm. Open Bug Farm also hosts forums and a wiki about homegrown insects.

If you’re willing to experiment and don’t care about the appearance of your farm, you can use the techniques perfected by pet owners. Reptiles need very clean, healthy insects, so if a farming method can support an iguana, it will probably work for you.  Modern Farmer Magazine points out that you can raise mealworms with just a plastic tub, and reptile hobbyists have many techniques for raising locusts, a food source that appears repeatedly in ancient literature.

The only downside to these techniques is that they may inspire fear in your insect-adverse friends and relatives.  If you want to be an edible insect evangelist, you’ll need a way to make insect farming look attractive and fun.

Several companies do have more attractive kitchen insect farms in the works. Their designers have combined sleek, European style with technology to create farms that won’t have your mother-in-law reaching for a garbage bag.  Unfortunately, these farms aren’t yet on the market. However, keep an eye out for both the Kitchenaid  Lepsis grasshopper farm and the Farm 432 black soldier fly farm. Once they’re available, they make home insect farming as normal as slow-cooked meals and smoothies.

Have you tried raising insects for food at home? What were your biggest successes? What were your most epic failures?

Image Source:

Christiaan Kooyman at Wikimedia Commons