This past weekend I had the opportunity to meet with three of the biggest agvocators world wide, the Peterson Farm Brothers. In case you haven't heard of these YouTube Stars, the Peterson Farm Brothers consist of Greg, Nathan, and Kendall Peterson, and they make parody music videos that help spread the positive and factual message of the agriculture industry. They are from Kansas and live and work on their family farm that raises cattle and row crop. Their videos reach into the millions days after they are posted and have been viewed by people all around the world. As an ag kid myself I have watched all of their videos multiple times, but in reality everyone outside of the agriculture industry are the people who really need to watch/follow these farm boys and here's why:
1. They show what really goes on in livestock production- We have all seen those heart-wrenching videos made by HSUS, PETA, and Chipotle depicting livestock facilities as cruel, greedy, and inhumane. Well I'll let in you on a little secret, most of those videos are staged and full of FALSE depictions and misinformation. The Peterson Farm Brothers show what it's REALLY like for cattle being conventionally raised and the cattle seem pretty happy and well cared for to me. Who would you rather believe: 3 young farmers who actually are involved in the day to day operations and care of livestock production, or some city people who have never stepped foot on a farm? I trust you have some common sense to answer this question.
2. They prove that Family Farming and Large Scale Farming can go hand in hand- Contrary to popular perception, most farms don't have a big red barn with chickens running around the yard, a Holstein cow in the barn milked by hand once a day, and a few pigs rolling around in some mud eating table scraps. Businesses evolve and improve over time and farms aren't any different. It is more efficient and sustainable to raise livestock in large numbers on less land. Producers are able to produce more protein for a growing global population while making a smaller carbon footprint. However, some entities want to classify this as "factory farming". Well, the Peterson Farm Brothers show that you can raise a large numbers of animals in one area and still have all members of the family involved in the owning and operation of the farm.
3. They give a factual depiction of the modern day farmer. When most people picture a farmer they think of an old man in a straw hat and bib overalls with a wheat sprig sticking out of the corner of his mouth. These young men don't quite fit that stereotype. They are all under the age of 26, wear jeans, boots, and cut-off t-shirts in almost every video, and I have yet to see a piece of hay in their mouth. Definitely a better depiction of the next generation of farmers. And let's be honest, they are not that hard to look at if you know what I mean ladies ;)
4. They are actually entertaining videos. I like country music because I can relate to their message, however I know many "city folks" don't keep a country music station on their pre-set lists. The Peterson Farm Brothers get that. All of their parodies are based off of popular songs such as "Gangnam Style", "Roar", "Sexy and I know It", and many more tunes that even the urban crowd can enjoy. Truth be told, the lyrics are pretty catchy and I catch myself singing to Katy Perry on the radio screaming "CHOOOORRRRREEEE" more often than "ROOOOAARRR".
5. They don't glamorize the agriculture industry. Farmers work a lot. Farmers get dirty. Sometimes the markets suck. These farm life lessons are found in almost every one of the Peterson Farm Brothers videos. It's easy to think that all farmers do is sit on a tractor all day and make millions, but farming is so much more than that. There's animals to feed, corn to ground, hay to be made, fence to be fixed, equipment to be fixed, and about a hundred other things that need done each day. It's not an easy life by any means. When someone watches one of these parodies they get a real feel for just how much work goes into the food that's on your plate.
If you haven't seen a Peterson Farm Brother's parody, get on YouTube right now and check them out! I guarantee you will learn something new and have a better understanding of the agriculture industry. It is agvocators like these 3 brothers that are making ground in building a better relationship between producers and consumers which ultimately helps build a stronger agriculture industry.
1. They show what really goes on in livestock production- We have all seen those heart-wrenching videos made by HSUS, PETA, and Chipotle depicting livestock facilities as cruel, greedy, and inhumane. Well I'll let in you on a little secret, most of those videos are staged and full of FALSE depictions and misinformation. The Peterson Farm Brothers show what it's REALLY like for cattle being conventionally raised and the cattle seem pretty happy and well cared for to me. Who would you rather believe: 3 young farmers who actually are involved in the day to day operations and care of livestock production, or some city people who have never stepped foot on a farm? I trust you have some common sense to answer this question.
2. They prove that Family Farming and Large Scale Farming can go hand in hand- Contrary to popular perception, most farms don't have a big red barn with chickens running around the yard, a Holstein cow in the barn milked by hand once a day, and a few pigs rolling around in some mud eating table scraps. Businesses evolve and improve over time and farms aren't any different. It is more efficient and sustainable to raise livestock in large numbers on less land. Producers are able to produce more protein for a growing global population while making a smaller carbon footprint. However, some entities want to classify this as "factory farming". Well, the Peterson Farm Brothers show that you can raise a large numbers of animals in one area and still have all members of the family involved in the owning and operation of the farm.
3. They give a factual depiction of the modern day farmer. When most people picture a farmer they think of an old man in a straw hat and bib overalls with a wheat sprig sticking out of the corner of his mouth. These young men don't quite fit that stereotype. They are all under the age of 26, wear jeans, boots, and cut-off t-shirts in almost every video, and I have yet to see a piece of hay in their mouth. Definitely a better depiction of the next generation of farmers. And let's be honest, they are not that hard to look at if you know what I mean ladies ;)
4. They are actually entertaining videos. I like country music because I can relate to their message, however I know many "city folks" don't keep a country music station on their pre-set lists. The Peterson Farm Brothers get that. All of their parodies are based off of popular songs such as "Gangnam Style", "Roar", "Sexy and I know It", and many more tunes that even the urban crowd can enjoy. Truth be told, the lyrics are pretty catchy and I catch myself singing to Katy Perry on the radio screaming "CHOOOORRRRREEEE" more often than "ROOOOAARRR".
5. They don't glamorize the agriculture industry. Farmers work a lot. Farmers get dirty. Sometimes the markets suck. These farm life lessons are found in almost every one of the Peterson Farm Brothers videos. It's easy to think that all farmers do is sit on a tractor all day and make millions, but farming is so much more than that. There's animals to feed, corn to ground, hay to be made, fence to be fixed, equipment to be fixed, and about a hundred other things that need done each day. It's not an easy life by any means. When someone watches one of these parodies they get a real feel for just how much work goes into the food that's on your plate.
If you haven't seen a Peterson Farm Brother's parody, get on YouTube right now and check them out! I guarantee you will learn something new and have a better understanding of the agriculture industry. It is agvocators like these 3 brothers that are making ground in building a better relationship between producers and consumers which ultimately helps build a stronger agriculture industry.