As a 30-year Kentucky farmer, John Brown has been able to worm his way out of sticky situations in order for his business to survive. So when income from his farm started to plunge, it should have been no surprise that he, well, wormed his way out of dairy farming. Literally. Browns new profession, vermiculture worm farming allows him to continue making his living from the soil by producing some 5,000 pounds of worms a month. The future of worm farming is a lot more promising than milking cows and raising tobacco these days. Making about seven dollars per 1,000 worms, the Glendale farmer stands to make a small fortune off the creepy, crawly creatures, especially when he expands the business later this summer. Brown, who started the venture with his son, Brent, 21, with about 70,000 red worms last November, is planning to expand his operation to include distribution of worms and organic fertilizer. Brent Brown, a Central Hardin High School graduate who manages the operation, hopes to sell organic fertilizer, enriched in the nutrient-packed excrement of worms, to organic gardeners, nurseries and landscapers. When I first saw an ad about this, I thought it was a joke, Brent Brown said. But that first paycheck wiped the grin right off my face. People tease me about it, but I laugh all the way to the bank. Vermiculture, most popular in California, is becoming an increasingly popular venture as cities look for ways to reduce landfill and sewage waste and as the demand for chemical-free fertilizer increases, said Peter Bogdanov, director of VermiCo and author of Commercial Vermiculture. Browns business is housed in a 2,400-square-foot greenhouse that holds some 50 plywood bins. Each bin contains bedding made of manure and peat moss and can turn out about 100 pounds of worms a month when properly maintained. The worms, fed carefully measured cracked shell corn and rotten hay about every three days, can double their population every month and a half, Brent Brown said. Once a month, the worms are harvested. The Browns created a tumbler that sifts dirt and eggs from the worms, which grow to nearly 2 inches long. The worms, Brent Brown said, are mostly clean and disease free. It sounds pretty icky, I know, but its way cleaner than you think, said Brent Brown, who still raises grain and has a few beef cattle. The trick is keeping the bedding clean and not overfeeding. If you overfeed, you attract mites and ants. The Browns have contracted to sell their worms to an Oklahoma-based company that markets and distributes the worms to composters, fertilizer businesses, landfills and sewage treatment plants and for fishing. About 90 percent of the worms are used for composting. Brent Brown said the operation, which calls for little maintenance other than temperature control, will allow him to have more free time and to spend more time with his father. I had absolutely no desire to be a dairy farmer. I grew up on a farm, and Ive seen the worry and the stress that comes with that, he said. You can never leave the farm. Those cows have to be fed twice a day, 365 days a year, no break. This way, I can be my own boss, we can leave and go on trips for days at a time.