Every farmer is a gambler, every gardener is a believer

Thank a farmer

Every farmer is a gambler, every gardener is a believer—he or she is betting that tiny seeds buried in the ground will bring forth a bounty of crops.

To closely watch a plant grow strong throughout the months and then see flowers transformed into fruits and vegetables, is miraculous. It humbles one into realizing there is a provident power in the universe.

Utah publicly acknowledged these forces when in 1955 it named the seagull the state bird because of its role in saving the harvest of Mormon pioneers. Farmers in 1848 were besieged by insects, and legend has it that large flocks of gulls ate the crickets and saved the crops.

Whether the facts are exaggerated does not matter. The underlying truth remains powerful. We are all a weevil away from famine. Perhaps it is appropriate to offer a blessing before each meal to respect the miracles that put food on the table.

Utah Stories dedicates this issue to the gamblers and believers who each year bet and pray that their efforts will bring forth a harvest we all can share.