Faces of Farming: Show and Tell with Brian Brown

“That’s cool — I want to do that!”

Ever watched someone do something and have that thought?

For some, that “something” is skydiving or playing the guitar. For others, it’s dunking a basketball or showing livestock.

For Brian Brown, first it was farming.

Growing up, Brown followed his dad everywhere on their farm near Chillicothe, Ohio. He always wanted to farm. Like countless little boys, he thought big machines were cool. He watched his dad drive their equipment, and thought, “I want to do that, too.”

Today, Brown farms with his dad, Bob, and his brother, B.J., comprising Brown Family Farms. He and B.J represent the fourth generation of the family to farm in southern Ohio. They raise about 3,500 acres of corn, soybeans and wheat and share decision-making in their general partnership.

Vlogging a New Path

In 2018, several years after joining his dad on the farm, Brown started watching vloggers who focused on his outdoor hobbies. He enjoyed how they shared their experiences and knowledge, and thought, “I want to do that, too.”

“If something works, I want everyone to know,” he says. He decided to create his own vlog. “I started filming while farming to practice, because I had little time for my hobbies.”

Brown posted those practice videos. People started watching. He realized he hadn’t seen many vlogs about farming, so the YouTube channel he tentatively named “Brian’s Outdoor Videos” became “Brian’s Farming Videos“.

“Lots of people don’t know what we’re doing on the farm day-to-day,” he says. “I want to tell them.”

Today, he regularly posts videos for his audience of about 179,000 YouTube subscribers. He also posts regularly on Facebook and Instagram, and occasionally on X.

Innovative Mindset

Brown Family Farms tried new things long before “Brian’s Farming Videos” gained traction.

Brown’s grandfather owned a 25- or 30-foot truck in the 1940s and 50s, a big machine at the time. As the only farmer in the area with this, he would haul for others.

His dad, Bob, started strip-tilling in the mid-1990s, well before anyone else in the area. A Successful Farming article shared his experience broadly with other farmers.

More recently, the Browns started using technologies like autosteer, variable-rate fertilizer and prescription planting, which enhanced their operation.

When Brown Family Farms needs new equipment, they commonly try out machines equipped with the latest technology.

With that attitude, Brown says his dad didn’t comment when he started talking to a video camera while they were working.

“He was a good sport about it,” he says. “If something is good for agriculture or the farm, he’s a fan. Now, he watches our videos more than anyone.”

Showcasing Big Iron

Like most farmers, Brown hasn’t outgrown his childhood fascination with farm equipment — a shared family interest. Bob Brown chronicles the history of the family farm based on what equipment they used when. He considers the Farm Progress Show a summer vacation. Brown and his dad attend the Ohio Farm Science Review and National Farm Machinery Show together every year.

Four months after Brown started his YouTube channel, they had the chance to try the first Fendt^® IDEAL^® combine.

“Their marketing team noticed my channel, our equipment, and that I was posting consistently,” he says. “They hosted a demo at our farm for several area farmers.”

Brown filmed and posted the experience and farmer reviews.

Then he took his camera to the Ohio Farm Science Review and interviewed equipment company representatives about updates and new machines. He posted those conversations, as well. And discovered the sweet spot between his passion for farming, big equipment and telling others about what works.

Now, he and his family regularly demonstrate innovative equipment — like a combine steered via joystick instead of a wheel — to help others decide if they want to try that, too.

“We’ve had several opportunities to test new equipment,” Brown says. “We discuss demo opportunities and take advantage of those that make sense for our farm.”

Beyond equipment, he only accepts ag industry sponsorships for products they already use. For non-ag products, he chooses to feature those that genuinely catch his interest or that he might use anyway.

Balancing Act

Brown applies that approach to all aspects of “Brian’s Farming Videos”.

“I am a farmer first,” he says. “I don’t ever want to sacrifice farming for filming.”

As he gained experience, he has learned when to turn the camera on and when to keep it off. He aims to capture highlights and minimize editing time. That allows him to prioritize farm work and family time, like coaching baseball and softball for his kids, while still posting videos consistently.

“I’ve been surprised by how many people enjoy bench-watching us farm,” he adds. “They get invested in each season and ask lots of questions.”

Brown educates viewers while sharing the daily challenges and successes of grain farming. He often keeps the camera on when things go wrong or tensions are high, as that’s when he’s most likely to catch funny or entertaining moments.

His dad and brother help out as needed, because the channel has become part of Brown Family Farms.

“When my work is monotonous, I will give Dad or B.J. a camera and ask for specific footage to show what else is going on,” Brown says. “Dad will take a camera anytime. B.J. will take one, though he doesn’t always remember to use it.”

His wife Kayla, their kids, ages 12, 10 and 6, their farm employee and seasonal help regularly show up on camera, as well.

Brown has grown from a boy following in his father’s footsteps to a farmer living and sharing his dream. He keeps showing and telling the story of daily farm life because people keep watching and commenting, “That’s cool – I want learn more about that.”

Fendt^® is a registered trademark of AGCO GmbH. IDEAL^® is a registered trademark of AGCO Corporation.