094 The Hidden Ploughman
Hey Earthworm, you turn the soil over in the dark, and when the harvest comes in, nobody says your name.
Whose work are we standing on?
Whose work are you standing on?
After rain, a farmer picks up a handful of soil. It is dark and crumbly, full of tiny tunnels.
In it, an earthworm wriggles and slips away.
What really happens
Earthworms burrow through soil, eating dead plant matter and soil, and leave behind rich castings.
Their tunnels let air and water in. Over years, they help turn and enrich the soil that crops grow in.
How we know: Charles Darwin's last book, in 1881, was about earthworms and soil; soil scientists have studied them ever since.
The turn
Every harvest rests on hidden work.
We praise the farmer and the crop. Rarely the worm.
Three takeaways
- Hidden work holds up visible success.
- Give credit below the surface.
- Your quiet work matters too.
Thank the worm for the harvest.
It may be doubted whether there are many other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world, as have these lowly organized creatures.