Are You a Miner or a Farmer?

by Kevin Housley

This week I was reminded of an old story about a miner and a farmer and it goes something like this:

A miner takes from the resources. They extract every little bit of useable ore, put it towards personal gain and leave the landscape decimated and nutrient poor. Yes, they are successful and good at their jobs, but as soon as they leave their area is depleted of the resource they move on with only barren landscape left behind as a testament to how good they were at extraction. They came, they saw, they conquered. Bravo.

Farmers however, give back to the land first and then harvest the rewards second. They nurture the soil, they provide it nutrients, water and food. They pull out the weeds and protect it from pests and make it strong to withstand the weather and seasons. They plant seeds and then lovingly take care of them with patience. As the seeds sprout the farmer is patient, provides nutrients, and works hard to make sure the seed grows strong roots and a healthy foundation. Once appropriate, the farmer harvests the crop and enjoys the fruits of their labor but they don’t ignore the soil that provided their spoils. Instead they focus on health of the ground and leave it in good repair for the next planting. They are stewards of their fields and they are rewarded heavily for it.

In the fire service we have both miners and farmers. Both groups have people that are absolutely amazing at their jobs and careers and many even provide excellent service to their communities. But only one group gives back selflessly. Only one group tends to the soil and makes sure most of their effort is spent on building up the fields health so the crops will grow deep roots and healthy plants.

Which group are you going to choose to be in? A simple choice is all it takes and then the hard work begins. Both the miner and the farmer toil, struggle, grow and are successful based on the measurable metric. You get to choose.

Farmers wanted.