A Guide to the Best of Southern California : PLACES : The Worm Dealer

WORMS MAY BE of no concern unless you’re a gardener, angler, homeowner in search of decent soil, devotee of that rare French delicacy, ver de terre , or someone who enjoys visiting unusual places. The Worm Concern in Thousand Oaks, certainly an unusual place, is a source of supply to all the above-mentioned worm aficionados. There may not be a worm in sight, but there are a zillion of them in the rich earth (available for viewing with the careful turn of a pitchfork).

Owner Richard Morhar says he got into worm farming out of curiosity. “Raising worms was a fad in the ‘70s, and because I’d always been into fishing, I thought I’d give it a try. It took four years to discover that it was the byproduct that was the big seller.” The byproduct involved in this cottage industry is the rich soil created by the presence of the crawly inhabitants, and it’s available at The Worm Concern by the gallon or the truckload. So are worms, of course, at only $12 per pound.

The Concern’s worms can be used for everything from bait to the hygienic maintenance of outdoor pet cages to the creation of your own soil-enriching worm compost. Ecological gourmets even use worms in such award-winning cuisine as Earthworm Patties, Ver de Terre Stuffed Peppers and Applesauce Surprise Cake. All these dishes were winners in a recent worm-recipe contest. If victuals of another sort are more to your liking, The Worm Concern sells starter sets of organically grown flowers, vegetables--tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers and popcorn are represented--spices and herbs.

And if you’d rather get something out of your yard than put something into it, the concerned Concern accepts yard waste. The worms transform leaves and the like into rich soil and compost, which keeps the matter in the ecosystem and out of the landfill. A limited number of plots on the premises are available through a local organic-gardening club.

Even if you’re not into worms, the Concern is a fun place to visit, just to look around. And Morhar will be happy to test your mettle by extending The Worm Concern’s worm-touching challenge. Of course, not all visitors accept his kind offer. In fact, according to Morhar, some of them won’t even get out of the car.

The Worm Concern, 580 Erbes Road, Thousand Oaks, (805) 496-2872.