Peterson Farm Bros - From Entertainment to Advocacy

About two years ago a trio of brothers made headlines by creating a parody to the popular LMFAO song "I'm Sexy and I Know It." No one, not even the brothers themselves, had any idea the firestorm they would create that would open the door of agriculture to millions of YouTube viewers.

By now, you know I'm talking about Greg, Kendal and Nathan Peterson, more commonly known as the Peterson Farm Bros. Their first song parody amassed more than 9 million views on YouTube and led them to appearances on national news outlets, Yahoo!'s homepage and countless speaking engagements in the past two years.

I recently heard Greg, the eldest bro, speak at the International Symposium for Beef Cattle Welfare in Ames, IA (which is why I was basically MIA last week) and it was interesting to hear him speak about the progression of their video series. What started out as a video for entertainment purposes has transitioned into a more robust advocacy campaign that is designed to spark more conversations and engage with consumers about farming practices. The Peterson family has even started opening their farm up for tours a few times each month.

Their most recent video All I Do is Farm (a parody of All I Do is Win) is definitely my favorite. Not only do I love that song, (it's on my iPod's running playlist) but they do a fantastic job of explaining why they do certain things and answering some of the questions that viewers might have about farm and ranch life.



Some of my favorite pieces of this video:

• How risky and unpredictable farming is but they just trust in Him
• The volatility of the markets and how that affects their livelihood
• Feeding the cattle a healthy ration
• Caring for their animals has always been a number one passion
• Farming is a family affair
• Conservation is on their minds and they are continually improving their operation and striving to decrease their carbon footprint
• The use of technology and input less to produce more

How can farmers and ranchers do a better job of reaching consumers and food purchasers on the level that the Peterson Farm Bros have? For my non-ag readers - how do you prefer to learn more about farming and ranching? Would you rather see a video like the Peterson Bros parodies, visit a farm or read a blog? What helps connect the dots for you?

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Working Farmer Style!

and do the horse dance while you hum that song in your head.

They are at it again! The Peterson Farm Brothers, who became wildly famous overnight for their parody I'm Farming and I Grow It have recently released their new song Farmer Style, a play on the popular hit Gangnam Style.

Check it out - K-State is very proud to claim these boys. They are wonderful agriculture representatives and have helped put farm life on the front page.




I think my favorite part is the "haaaaaaaaaaaaaaay, for my cattle." I'll have that stuck in my head all day!

What do you think of the video - do you like it better than Farming and I Grow It? What song do you think they should do next? This parody already has 107,000 views on YouTube!

You can check out the Peterson Farm Brothers and their videos on their YouTube page and you can follow Greg on Twitter (@gregpeterson33).

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

We Are Hungry - School Lunch Parody

Song parodies with an agriculture twist aren't going to stop anytime soon. In light of the recent school lunch policies and the continual mindset that some people have about conventional farming practices, the internet is alive with young minds belting out popular hits with altered lyrics.

First there were the Peterson Farm Brothers and I'm Farming and I Grow It (which has over 7 million views, by the way).

Then, Lil Fred put out his version of 'Call Me, Maybe' with "Farm It Maybe", which has over 1 million hits.

Most recently, the kids at Wallace County High School in Sharon Springs, Kansas (yeah, that's right another Kansas group - we're the bomb) have come up with this awesome gem of a video.

Introducing..... We Are Hungry


I think these guys and gals hit the nail right on the dang head. Kids are active and need food to play sports, keep their minds sharp and have enough energy to get through 6-7 hours of class per day. You can watch it here but also head over to YouTube and give them a thumbs up or a nice comment. They're doing their part to increase awareness of a flawed school nutrition program.

Oh and that kid in the I Heart Beef shirt (from Kansas State University - booyah) is a good family friend named Callahan Grund. The kind of kid you want to be friends with because he's a hardworker, funny and good-natured. His mom is in the video too and apparently she makes some good meatloaf.

Way to go guys - this is fantastic and had me grinning from ear to ear! Keep up the good work!

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~