Our Story

Home grown.

We were born in Virginia from a passion for reducing food waste and the wonders worms can work in composting.

Now, we share the love with our Northern VA neighborhoods.

George Ardura founded Worm Works in April 2020 as a student attending the University of Virginia. Born and raised in Sterling, VA, George is a long-time worm farmer and at-home composter. As he learned about sustainability and waste management, he became increasingly concerned about the amount of organic waste being sent to landfills. He grew a passion for finding a better, surer way to put all that waste to good use. So, naturally, he brought his vermicomposting worms to school and started composting his and his roommates’ food waste!

Intrigued by this at-home (or should we say, in-dorm) solution, George decided to take larger action. He started Worm Works with the goal of establishing a business centered around vermiculture and composting. His vision was to divert organic waste from landfills, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and produce nutrient-rich compost that could benefit gardens, farms, and the environment.

Farmer George hard at work, checking the health of our compost piles!

Worm Works boomed with grant support from The University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business VentureLab and, most recently, the 2022 Loudoun Innovation Challenge hosted by the Loudoun Economic Development Committee. These and other big wins for Worm Works allowed us to rapidly expand the company’s capacity to compost for more residents and businesses throughout Loudoun and Fairfax counties.

In 2023, George partnered with Michelle Wendt, a longtime Ashburn resident who is equally as passionate about eco-living and sustainability—and whose first experience with Worm Works was as a customer! She and George have embarked on an exciting co-ownership journey, leveraging their respective strengths and expertise to steer the business to new heights. Together, they are striving always to perfect a business that contributes positively to our local ecosystem.