It started as a trip to the library to pick up books.
I am determined to be not just an urban gardener, but an urban farmer. It seemed as though I had every book the local library branch had on homesteading, composting, husbandry and gardening and vermiculture.
I was not happy to just read, though. My simple, yet inspired psyche was ready to put into action the hundreds of pages and thousands of words I was devouring. I was ready to recycle the information, that I hoped I had absorbed, like my own form of intellectual compost, into an new hobby for myself and perhaps a self-guided learning experience for my unschooling children.
So on the return trip home, we ignored the construction detour signs and yielded to the Bait Store Still Open sign. I had no idea what I could expect, but it doesn't hurt to try, right? So I turn onto the road and find out exactly why they erect those huge barriers that say Road Closed to Through Traffic.
The pavement had been completely de-surfaced. Every few feet there were ruts going across both lanes, where they were perhaps adding new steel rebar? It was like two-tracking on ripped cement, in a van. But I made it. Into the bait store I bounced after my jouncy half mile ride. And, alas, my prize!
The salesman assured me that the worms he carried were Red Wigglers- the fishermen like them because they are wiggle so much when handled and when the fish nibble at them. And that they get their name from their red and buff striped coloring. Wow! I got an education at a bait shop. Woot!
To make a getting long story short $4.00 got me 50 worms and I couldn't be more pleased. As a side note, I don't suggest buying a large amount (say for composting) this way, as the price per worm at a bait store is about four times the price of online. But online you must buy in bulk. If you are confident in your worm rearing skills, I say go for it. I was not. This was the perfect size experiment for me and I am enjoying it.
