March 2026 Slice of Life, No. 4
We were driving along Highway 240. Through farms. Not far from Newberg. That’s where I saw the sign. It was a white sign. Not too big; not too small. It had two wooden posts holding it up at just the right height to read from the car window. There were three large words—“The Worm Farm.” Beneath in smaller print was “Portland.” Beneath the print was a cartoon-like drawing of a worm curving and crooking along, wearing a tall, black stovepipe hat and sporting a white collar and black bow tie that calls to mind a tuxedo—a suit designed for maximum elegance, typically worn for “black-tie” events. I smiled to think of the lowly worm stylishly dressed, ready for a swanky event. Finally, there were white letters and numbers on black at the bottom, listing contact information.
The Worm Farm? Really?
I know about farms. Wheat farms. Chicken farms. Pig farms. Dairy farms. Lama farms. But not worm farms. Spoiler: I found out that worm farms are increasingly common.
That led to lots of questions.
In rapid succession, questions tumbled through my head. Do they raise worms? Why would they raise worms? What kind of worms? Probably earthworms. Do they sell the worms? Why would anyone buy worms? I remember buying some earthworms with my dad for fishing bait when we were vacationing on a lake in Michigan. And I remember the earthworms for sale in a country store along the edge of a lake in Texas.
But such sales would not be enough to support worm farms. I’ve always thought someone dug the worms out of their back yard or garden and sold them as bait. I thought, perhaps the worm farm was raising and marketing them for gardeners?
I was intrigued.
So, like any modern-day inquirer, when we arrived home, I turned to the internet with my questions. I found “The Worm Farm” website, and there I found answers. And as usually happens, I had more questions.
The questioning led to learning.
I learned that there are lots of different worms, i.e., red wigglers, European earthworms, meal worms, wax worms, bloodworms, and more. Many more. According to AI, 20,000 to 1 million, depending on which ones are include. Sounds creepy to me.
I learned about worm chow, a special worm food created from wheat flour, cornmeal, oatmeal, soybean meal, alfalfa, and grit like eggshells or pulverized oyster shells. Sounds like a nutritious profile.
I learned that feeding worms will make them fatter and longer and healthier. Sounds like raising cattle for the slaughter houses.
I learned that a pound of worms ranges from 600 to 1100 worms depending on their size. Sounds like a lot of worms to me.
I learned about worm bedding. It’s made of material such as shredded cardboard, aged horse manure, newspaper, and dry leaves. The worm bedding should be fluffy, breathable, and able to absorb up to twenty times its weight in water. Sounds like a bed linen advertisement –fluffy, breathable bedding.
I learned that worm castings are excrement, and they make a gourmet meal for plants. The process of worms making castings is called vermicomposting. You can purchase organic certified worm castings. Sounds like my local grocer–certified organic.
I learned that worms can be kept in a refrigerator to induce a dormant state so they can survive for weeks or even months without being fed, staying alive for use as fishing bait. Sounds like a bad idea to me–worms in my refrigerator.
I learned you can purchase worm kits. Sounds like a great hands-on, interactive learning project. Raise worms and learn about biology, ecology, and sustainability. Sounds better than raising mice.
What have you learned about worms today?
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