Dr. Warren and Betty Kirkley are animal lovers: dogs, cats, horses and worms. Worms?A retired veterinarian, Warren Kirkley and his wife, both age 75, became interested in owning a worm farm after reading about it in Ecology Technology. “Warren spent a lot of time reading and doing the research about worm castings (manure),” Betty Kirkley said.Warren Kirkley said worm castings are “nature’s perfect organic fertilizer and soil conditioner. They contain all the nutrients needed for plant growth and health.”The other bonus to raising worms, he said, is that they are inexpensive to feed. “They are not like other pets,” he said. “They eat garbage, shredded newspaper, peat moss and horse manure.” Warren said the original kit to set up the worms was about $1,800, which included a large plastic tub and about 1,000 red wiggler worms. He said the red wigglers are the best because they multiply so readily. He estimates that he now has about 10,000 worms.Warren keeps the tub well insulated with blankets and a heating system. About every other day, he feeds the worms. He also takes them out of the tub and runs them through his homemade sifter to separate out the castings. Once he has the castings, he packages them in plastic Ziploc bags and sells them at $5 for a quart-size bag, $10 for a gallon-size bag and $25 for a 2.5 quart-sized bag.In addition to selling worm castings, Warren’s business cards advertise that he also sells “worm tea.” “Well, it’s actually just worm pee,” he said with a laugh. Warren said the castings and the tea are equally good fertilizers.Before the worm business, the Kirkleys spent many years working in their veterinary clinics and pet stores; thus, the reason for their affections for all kinds of animals. Betty Kirkley is fond and proud of her 12 house cats – most of which have won prestigious awards. “I have raised cats for more than 35 years,” she said.All of her cats also have creative names. “There’s Brazenheart, Rosie O’ Blue, Busy Bonnie, Mr. Bigglesworth, Polly and Petey, and who am I forgetting?” she asked. All her cats are registered with the Cat Fanciers Association. “It’s like the American Kennel Club for dogs, except it’s for cats,” Warren Kirkley said. He doesn’t have a favorite animal, but he enjoys all the cats. “We have a feral cat,” he said. “And everywhere I go, she follows me. She’s like a dog.”Natives of Denver, Warren and Betty Kirkley met while they were attending North High School where they graduated in 1951. After graduation, Betty Kirkley began her career as a bookkeeper and secretary for American National Bank and later for the Jefferson County schools.After high school, Warren Kirkley pursued veterinary school at Colorado State University and received a doctorate of veterinary medicine. While he was attending CSU, the two decided to marry, after dating for seven years. “I had to think very hard about it [getting married], because he wasn’t working and didn’t have a job. I had to work,” Betty Kirkley said.She is proud of her 53-year marriage, but jokingly said her first true love has always been horses. “We’ve been involved with horses for 45 years,” Betty Kirkley said. “We had horses at the veterinary clinic in 1957, and I got my first horse in 1958 – I had her for 30 years.” The Kirkleys currently own two horses, Cinnamon and Annie, who came from Front Range Equine Rescue.Shortly after Warren Kirkley graduated from CSU, the Kirkleys opened their first veterinary clinic – Paramount Heights Veterinary Clinic in Lakewood, Colo. “I did all the bookkeeping and payroll and, at one time, we had 16 employees,” said Betty. In 1979, they sold the clinic to Warren’s partner. Warren Kirkley then worked 11 years as a consulting veterinarian throughout the U.S. and Europe for the IAMS Company, the pet food company owned by Proctor and Gamble. He and another doctor were involved with the original formula for IAMS’ cat food. When IAMS invited Warren Kirkley to work in the company’s new home office and clinic in Ohio, he turned it down in favor of the Colorado lifestyle.The Kirkleys remained in Denver, where they owned and operated a few pet stores. “We had some pet stores for about three years and then PetSmart kind of … took care of that,” Betty Kirkley said.In 1991, the Kirkleys moved from Denver to the Black Forest area, and purchased the Eagle Point Veterinary Clinic. After seven years, the Kirkleys sold their business to Dr. Karen Vollmer.Although the Kirkleys officially retired from the veterinary business in 1998, they have not retired from caring for animals.The Kirkleys also have three grown children and five grandchildren.More on the KirkleysWhat are you currently reading?Warren: Besides the veterinary journals, “1776,” I like to read about history.Betty: I like history, too, and books about Native Americans.If you could change anything about Falcon, what would you change?Warren: I like small towns and there shouldn’t be an incorporation [of Falcon]. There’s no advantage to it.Betty: The store and the people are wonderful, but I don’t like all the houses that are 20 feet apart. That is the one thing I would change about Falcon.If you could change one aspect of your life, what would you change?Betty: Warren could have been a professor of chemistry at CSU or continued with IAMS and moved to Dayton, Ohio, and then could have retired from that, but you can’t look back.Who is one person you admire?Warren: Dr. Herman – the first person to introduce him to roses, who also allowed him to take care of his rose garden when he was just in grade school. Warren acquired a love for the growing and caring of roses, and won several garden competitions. In June 2005, Warren won the Silver Medal from the American Rose Society (ARS), and five months later Warren was named the ARS’s Master Consulting Rosarian.Betty: My mother. My dad died when I was 14. My mother was a coal miner’s daughter and didn’t graduate from high school. But she had to take care of us children all on her own. She really was an inspiration to me.
