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"Crispy texture." "Neutral taste." "Nutty flavor." These are all phrases used by the Livin Farms Hive Kickstarter project to describe the experience of eating mealworms. It may sound gross but mealworms are packed with protein, vitamins and fiber. Mealworms are also easily farmed and have the potential to help meet the planet's growing demand for food.

Want to try mealworms out? A Hive worm ranch for your kitchen counter would cost $599.

The Livin Farms Hive is a 61 x 30.5 x 40-cm tower split into a number of levels. It is designed to provide the ideal microclimate of around 28° C and around 60 percent air humidity for mealworms to develop and grow.

The Hive consists of a series of drawers. Mealworm pupae are at the top drawer. They then hatch into beetles. These beetles then lay eggs that go to the second drawer. The eggs become mealworms. You harvest and eat some of the worms and let some turn into pupae to put back into the top drawer to start the process all over.

There is a ventilation system that helps to prevent odors while a dirt bin collects the worm waste in a separate area. The mealworms consume on kitchen scraps like carrot peels, lettuce and leftover bread. The harvested worms can be cooked in boiling water and then fried, roasted, dried or ground up to add into other dishes. The Hive can produce around 7 to 18 ounces of worm per week.

Livin Farms has already developed some Hive prototypes, but still needs to raise $100,000 through crowdfunding to put the insect farm into production. Not all Kickstarter projects deliver on time and as promised. The project has already attracted over $43,000 with 56 days left to go.

If you're ready to try out an alternative form of meat, then the mealworms might be for you. Better start planning out your meal dishes.