You’ve heard of snake charmers …

… but how about worm charmers?

On the Florida panhandle in a corner of the Apalachicola National Forest, Gary and Audrey Revell carry on a generations-old ritual they call worm grunting. Or worm charming. Or worm fiddling. Or worm calling. How about worm snoring? Whatever you call it, it’s a method of creating vibrations in the soil that mimic the sounds of moles, earthworm predators, and send the earthworms wriggling to the surface to escape … right into the hands of the grunters. And apparently, it works; Gary and Audrey have collected enough earthworms to reach the moon and back!

Gary uses a thin piece of metal rubbed against a wooden stake (creating an eerie “grunting” sound) while Audrey scoops up the bounty, but there are many methods to this particular madness. Some worm charmers simply sprinkle the earth with water, tea, or beer; some use a pitchfork; some tap dance; some saw a tree; and some even use knitting needles to lure the worms. (Do I hear a new Merit Badge coming on?) At England’s World Worm Charming Championships, 10-year-old Sophie Smith set the Guinness World Record for most worms charmed in 30 minutes (567) by simply sticking a fork into the ground and wiggling it around while hitting it with a stick.


On a typical early-morning forest outing, Gary and Audrey will gather 3,000-4,000 worms. What do they do with all those worms? They sell them for fishing bait at $35 for a bucket of 50 worms. Do the math. It might just inspire a little grunting, fiddling, charming, calling, snoring, or even tap dancing!

  1. Nancy Coughlin says:

    I’d rather the earthworms were in the ground, helping to enrich the soil. Each to their own, I suppose.

  2. Winnie Nielsen says:

    This is new to me and I have lived here since 1973! Fascinating! Yes, fishing is a huge industry down here in the rivers and along the coast. I bet they have a nice business selling worms. The only issue I see about having to go into those florida woods like where they are in this video is this: no see-ums, ticks, mosquitoes by the gazillions, copperheads, and lots of rattlesnakes. Our woods are not exactly friendly for people.

  3. Sherry Loomis says:

    Ye Gads! All I have to do is use the weed wacker or my little hedge trimmer and they come out in droves. Even the push lawn mower does it. I think my New England yard is a haven for the juicy wriggly things! I can only vacate the spot and move on till they slither back in. Hopefully they are doing a great job turning our gravel yard into viable soil!

  4. Barbara Roberts says:

    Yes, Mary Jane, I know all about worm grunting. My grandparents ran a hunting and fishing lodge in Sopchoppy Florida (called Breakaway Lodge) for many years, and my dad had to do his share of worm grunting to get bait for all of the fishing guests at the Lodge. He showed us how to do it and if I recall correctly, he used a wooden stake in the ground and a brick to rub across it. As the video says, there are many ways to call up worms and it is very effective. We have bought bait at the Revell’s place many times in the later years after my grandmother died and the Lodge was closed. That brought back great memories for me, so thanks for sharing it.

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  1. Winnie Nielsen says:

    Lovely flowers in your garden!

  2. Nancy Coughlin says:

    So beautiful! The shade of color is stunning.

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Jam-ee Glam-ee Camping

After a wonderful weekend spent under the stars, Mom and I were perusing our pictures and noticed a theme.

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My cousin, Adria, somehow managed to get dressed on our first day, but if you look closely, you’ll see that I stayed in my jammies the entire time.

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And my sister, Mia Marie, was definitely too busy with dish duty to worry about her attire.

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By the second day, Adria had joined us!

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And by the third day, little Alina had run out of clean clothes anyway. New trend: jam-ee glamping!

 

  1. Winnie Nielsen says:

    Too cute!You girls are definitely trend setters for for the young Glamperette crowd!

  2. CJ Armstrong says:

    There’s nothing like jammies in camp . . . around the campfire with a cup of joe and breakfast being made. Robin and I purchased fluffy robes just for this activity while we’re glamping!!!
    CJ

    • Megan says:

      Haha, some big fluffy robes sound perfect. Notice there are no pictures of myself in my flannels. But maybe I just need a big robe! Love it.

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  1. Winnie Nielsen says:

    These berries and the background leaves look like something tropical. Some of our palm looking plants have clutters of berries with little flowers on the end. How do you like that botanist term “palm looking?” Sounds like I need to do a badge on local flowering plants!!

  2. Karlyne says:

    Those are elderberries, right? But they fruit is paler than what I usually see in the central mountains!

  3. Karlyne says:

    And now that I look again, the leaves aren’t as large, either!

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  1. Winnie Nielsen says:

    I do believe I see a hint of fall in this photo. My personal favorite season!

  2. Connie-Killarmey says:

    OOOOOOOOOOOOO Me too Winnie! and we got a mild breeze from the North East today that just fuels my excitement for Fall!!!

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  1. Winnie Nielsen says:

    This looks like the harvesting of the wheat that grows in your area? I love the golden color of wheat fields and the way they look when the wind is blowing them. Mmmmmm, baking essentials start right here!

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  1. Winnie Nielsen says:

    Look at everybody all cozied up for a bit of sun bathing in the prairie summer sun@!

  2. Ooohhhh, cow love ! Aren’t the 3 muskateers of calfs just too cute ! Darling photo and made my morning !

  3. Kay (Old Cowgirl) Montoya says:

    Now that is pure contentment. I can almost fill their soft fur and the smell of the warm milk on their breaths.

  4. Connie-killarney says:

    awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

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  1. Winnie Nielsen says:

    The whole renovating of vintage campers was completely new to me until you introduced the idea and promoted it among Farmgirls. Now, when I see cuties like the one shown, I just want to have one too. Red cowgirl boots,, vintage red metal chair, wouldn’t that be the perfect match for Red Tractor Girl? I’m thinking those curtains in the window should be made from one of the new Milk Cow Kitchen fabrics that has the labels and red accents!

  2. Connie-Killarney says:

    I am headed to the porch swing right now with my tea! Growing up we slept on the screened in back porch and just camped out in the back yard! My soul cannot survive with out being outside as much as possible!!

  3. Love it! Wish it were mine.

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