The Legislature hereby finds and declares that vermiculture in the state is a growing industry and that use of vermiculture and vermiculture by-products for the commercial purpose of producing agricultural commodities should be encouraged. As used in this section, “vermiculture” is the raising of animals belonging to the order Oligochaeta, class Chaetopoda, phylum Annelida.
Vermiculture, and the processing, packaging, sale, and use of its by-products, shall be considered a branch of the agricultural industry.