Faces of Farming: From Cornfields to Vlogs With Ben Van Roekel

Sometimes, a gift can change your life in ways you never imagined. In 2018, that’s what happened to Iowan farmer Ben Van Roekel.

“I was watching some farming videos on YouTube and said offhand to my then girlfriend, now wife, that I could make a video like that,” he says. “For my next birthday, she bought me video editing software and a GoPro.”

Seven years and a lot of hard work later, Van Roekel is now known online as @iowANFarmer on YouTube, with more than 75,000 followers joining him on his farming journey.

“I just kind of did it. Becoming a YouTuber wasn’t really a thing then like it is now. It was a trial that worked out — a happy accident,” he says.

This spirit of entrepreneurship and experimentation helped Van Roekel find success in more ways than one.

Grower Turned YouTuber

Van Roekel has farming in his blood. He cherishes his childhood memories of farming with his dad.

“I was helping my dad farm since the time I was able to put the clutch down on a tractor,” he says.

Today, he’s been farming corn and soybeans in southern Iowa for 10 seasons and recently diversified his farm’s production to include oats, grasses and hays. Three years ago, he added in an agritourism business, offering pick-your-own apples, pumpkins and cut flowers.

His YouTube channel, @iowANFarmer, shares his day-to-day work on the farm with the goal of showcasing what younger farmers have to offer the industry and giving those outside agriculture a glimpse into what a farmer’s life is like.

“In southern Iowa there’s corn everywhere, and there are still people who think the field corn is all sweet corn,” he says. “I’m touching people on social media and teaching them about farming.”

Van Roekel sees YouTube and other social media channels as resources for all to learn from, including those already in the industry.

“Maybe you’re watching somebody do something and catch a little tidbit about how they might do it differently from you,” he says. “There’s a whole wealth of information you can use to educate yourself. It’s all there for you to learn at your fingertips for free.”

Van Roekel’s Advice: Be Willing to Experiment

In both farming and YouTube, Van Roekel is always willing to try new things. He conducts trials each season on his row crops to find new ways to push higher yields and a better return on investment, and suggests that others do the same.

“As a producer, I believe that one of the things that we get stuck on is, ‘This is the way we’ve always done it.’ How do you know that you’re right unless you’re testing if you’re right?” he says. “If there’s a chance to do a trial where I get to see something on the farm firsthand, I do it.”

Experimentation is how he ended up in agritourism.

“I grow about half an acre of experimental corn/soy crops — I call it my ‘fun plot’, and one year I thought, ‘Why don’t we grow something else there?’ So I grew pumpkins,” he says.

Shortly afterward, he purchased 27 acres to open “Papo’s Pumpkin Patch,” which includes pumpkins, a corn maze, games, cut flowers and more. Trying something outside of row cropping is a piece of advice he’s preached and stands by.

“Every time the young guys ask, ‘How do I get into farming?’ I say, ‘Find a niche to try and be profitable.’ And that’s still my advice,” Van Roekel says.

Van Roekel’s Philosophy: Enjoy the Journey

Van Roekel wouldn’t be where he is without taking risks, and it’s important to him to be in the here and now.

“I try to make the right decisions for the future, but I don’t want to be so focused on the future that I miss the journey,” he says.

He’s grateful for the opportunities that both YouTube and agritourism have given him and looks forward to finding out what the future has in store.

“Being able to go and experience other parts of agriculture has been extremely beneficial for me,” he says. “What makes me excited for the future are the opportunities and the challenges. You’re not excited about the heartaches, but you’re excited for the successes. It’s all just part of the ride.”

You can follow Van Roekel on YouTube or Facebook at @iowANFarmer and on Instagram at @_iowanfarmer_.