With a majority of consumers now being several generations removed from the farm, it’s no secret that we have lost touch with where our food comes from. Today, the small percentage of the U.S. population still involved in farming is tasked with feeding the masses. In an effort to reconnect the average American with their farmer, a handful of those involved in getting food from the farm to our forks have taken to social media platforms like TikTok to showcase their daily lives.
Here are five TikTok influencers in agriculture who are guaranteed to give you a real lookbehind their barn doors, along with a sample of what their content looks like.
@iowadairyfarmer
♬ original sound – Dan
1. Iowa Dairy Farmer
With nearly 820,000 followers on TikTok alone, Dan Venteicher is a fourth-generation dairy farmer near Edgewood, Iowa, who manages a 180-cow operation with wife, Jamie, and his twin brother, Don.
He is best known for implementing state-of-the-art technology on the farm, with equipment like robotic milkers, an automated feeding system and cow-butt-scratching rotary brushes. His “fact-based farming” approach to educating his online followers and deep understanding of cow comfort and welfare has made him a popular resource for those wanting to see what real dairy farming families are all about.
@agwithemma do what ya love and never work a day in your life right? #agwithemma #customharvestcrew #acregirl #womeninag ♬ original sound – Surfs Up Fan
2. Ag with Emma
Emma is an ag content creator from Idaho that made her debut on TikTok in 2021. She shares her diversified background in primarily crop and soil sciences, having worked in seed production, custom harvesting, extension, pivot irrigation, amongst other seasonal jobs.
After receiving her associate’s degree in general agriculture in May of the same year, she transferred to the University of Idaho to continue her studies and start a YouTube channel. When she realized that she preferred to pursue her passion for farming beyond the classroom, she dropped out of college to take on ‘Ag with Emma’ full time. Since then, she has been visiting farming operations across the United States and even Australia! When she’s not in the seat of a combine, she is known to film some extraordinary videos of modern farming from a unique drone’s-eye-view!
@thatfitagvocate Let’s just say they’re tougher than we are and have advantages in the cold. Cattle are built for it. They have thick skin & a natural layer of insulation with their fat. If they have snow on their backs, it means that insulation is doing it’s job keeping them warm! They’re also ruminants, meaning they have a four chambered stomach. This creates a bunch of heat for them. Good feed, water + shelter from the wind is what they need to “thrive” in most winter conditions. The cold, snowy, windy winter weather is brutal but they’re built for it much better than we are! #farmtok #cowcalf #feedlotlife #agvocate #eatbeef #2023blizzard #ranchtok ♬ Pierre dance challenge Isla McMillan – Isla 🫶🏼
3. That Fit Agvocate
Andrea Severtson Fleming is a full-time “agvocate,” speaker, content creator and, most importantly, a fifth-generation beef rancher! In addition to managing a cow-calf herd and feedlot in Minnesota with her family, Andrea is motivated to share the “real and raw” side of her life on social media, opening up to followers about the importance of mental and physical health. She emphasizes that “life isn’t a highlight reel” and is on a mission to showcase her story in agriculture by publishing an unfiltered, behind the scenes look at an American beef farm.
When she’s not advocating for the beef community online, she travels to speak with other farmers, FFA/4-H groups and agricultural students across the country on the importance of “keeping it real” when communicating your personal ag story with the world.
@nyfarmgirls Cleaning 2 barns out in 1 day! #NextLevelDish ♬ original sound – Nyfarmgirls
4. NY Farm Girls
Three sisters living on a dairy farm in Marietta, New York, took social media by storm when they rose to online stardom in 2019. Frustrated by the misinformation being perpetuated about dairy farming, they worked together to make videos that debunk common myths and answer questions from Gen Z followers and others that may have the wrong idea about dairy.
All three sisters (Claudia, Evelyn, and Jojo) play an important role on their family farm, from growing their own animal feed, handling the 500-cow dairy herd, or managing the Leubner family’s 70-acre pumpkin patch agritourism operation. By sharing the good and tougher realities of working on a dairy farm, they have established trust with their loyal followers, many who have admitted to having changed their perspectives on dairy as a result of their advocacy.
@sheepishly.me …sometimes it’s just too hard to say goodbye. And although I can’t keep them all, watching these ladies living out their golden years together makes my heart happy. …and no, no one is pregnant. Just a little on the curvy side. #sheep #retirement #goldengirls #sheepishlyme ♬ Funny Song – Cavendish Music
5. Sheepishly Me
Sandi Brock worked on a broiler breeding operation with her brother and father-in-law for over a decade before stepping away to pursue a career in sheep. While she admitted to not having any “knowledge, experience, or confidence” in those first few years, she acknowledged that sharing her moments of defeat was the best way to ensure others getting into the sheep business would learn from her mistakes. Since the release of TikTok, the algorithm has served as a direct line of communication to her target audience, as well as others interested in following her journey as a sheep farmer-in-training.
While this may just be a highlight reel, there are many more influencers on #agtok or #farmtok willing to share their personal stories and livelihoods with you! Social media can be a great tool to learn, network and grow as an informed consumer and fellow agricultural “agvocate!”
Michelle Miller, the “Farm Babe,” is an internationally recognized keynote speaker, writer, and social media influencer and travels full time to advocate for agriculture. She comes from an Iowa-based row crop and livestock farming background and now resides on a timber farm in North Central Florida.
