Soil development is all about composting.

Kitchen scraps, yard debris, grass clippings, raked leaves, and backyard chicken manure and bedding can all be composted in to rich soil.
A certain amount of dampness keeps the biodiversity in decomposing materials alive, allowing them to break down the raw material. This can be accomplished through having a compost bin, to which “green” layers, and dry layers of compostable goods are intermittently stacked in the container. You can add earthworms, or just allow them to show up!

Be sure your system does not retain too much moisture though, as this can cause odor, and drown out your worms.
As the experienced composter says, if it smells, you’re doing it wrong!

Soil should smell earthy and nothing more. Compost that has completed the decomposition process, ideally should be fully recycled.

Essential for composting, earth worms can play an important role in your permaculture garden. Not only do they break down raw materials into soil, but they can be used to feed various types of fish, chickens, quail, ducks and pets – such as turtles of course!

In our experience, night crawlers and red worms just explode in population when allowed to take over moist leaf litter, and the old-fashioned permaculture cardboard box trick. Just lay down the recyclable material, and cover with mulch. You will have earthworms in no time.