SharkFarmerXM's podcast
Zach Johnson the Millennial Farmer 9-3-24
- ♪ Unstoppable, unshakeable ♪ ♪ But it rolls off a tunnel unfacable ♪ ♪ It's unavourable ♪ ♪ You're relatable ♪ ♪ Re-between the lines ♪ ♪ Start to loosen up your mind ♪ - And while we're in this short farm where we're here, we are live from the farm progress show. Just outside of Boone, Iowa, which is short farmer and I are here. We got Zach Johnson, the Millennial R. - So Emily, what are you thinkin'? They said it was supposed to be super hot today, it's not too bad. - It's overcast, it's fantastic. It's a great day to be out here. There's a breeze. - Yeah, not, it took four hours to park and then another two hours to walk up here so we're doin' pretty good. You've probably been here since like 6 a.m., right, Zach? - No, no, I haven't. I didn't hurry to get here. I was gonna be in a hurry. I thought if we, you know, by like 7.15, that'd be good. And then at 7.15, when I was still in the hotel room and I checked my GPS and saw that the roads in were all backed up, I didn't hurry from there. - You stayed the air conditioning and start, man. - That's a good answer. - There it is. - Where'd you stay at? - We're at the Quality Inn in Ames. I wish I hadn't told you that. I feel like you might ask for a reason, though. - You're lookin' for a good time to know it. (laughing) - Zach, you farm, you have a YouTube channel or something like that, huh? - Yep, I started a YouTube channel a few years ago as nothing more than a hobby and it just completely exploded on me. - Yeah, to say that is an understatement. Well, over a million subscribers now, probably an agriculturalist. - Yeah, I think so. I think what I've found is it seems like it's about half and half that are directly in farming versus not with my viewers, but a lot of the ones that are not directly farming are somehow connected to it. You know, whether they grew up on a farm or they have been a rural area or something like that, most of them are connected in some way or another. - And do you have any idea how many you've done? - Videos, yeah. - Ah, I don't, it's hundreds. We're not too a thousand yet, but it's hundreds. - Okay, very consistently one of the best YouTubes in agriculture by far. I think you do a good job of, it's hard to mix entertainment and be informative. Would you agree? - Yeah, definitely. Yeah. - Yeah. - And you don't cost too much. - Which I try not to on the YouTube channel 'cause I've always tried to make it so that everybody can watch it. I'll drop in some of, like, I call them Disney jokes where maybe it goes over the kids' heads but the adults will pick up on it, those kinds of things. Well, you can't put me on the spot. I can't just think of one. That's like going to say something funny. (laughing) - You far too, though. What are you raising up there in Minnesota? - So right now we are just corn and soybeans. My dad, we're the only two full-time people on the farm. I'm sixth generation and my wife, the farm host from my parents a few years ago. So right now we're raising our kids there, possibly the seventh generation. And we had cattle and hogs when I was younger. So I do have a little bit of experience with that. - Yeah, I bet you don't miss those. - I was pretty young, so I didn't have to put in the kind of work that you do all the time. - So do you feel like with an audience of people that don't just harm, do you find yourself having to explain things to make sure that you're not just talking farmer-ies or do you just say it like it is and let people Google it if they don't know? - It's a little bit of both. When I started, I was explaining a lot more than I do now. And I think some of that is because I have more farming viewers who farm than what I ever expected. And I think some of it is just because a lot of the viewers have been around for a while and they kind of get it now. But yeah, I try to balance that. You know, when I catch myself maybe just glancing over something that we would take for granted, but some of your culture wouldn't understand. I try to explain it as simple as I can. You know, well, it's happening. 'Cause I find that you gotta keep the videos moving. You know, you can't stop and sit down and just talk to a camera very often. It's like you have to keep it dynamic. If I'm doing the process while I talk about it, that's like the entertainment with information, I think. - I'd ask you if you had any experience in this, but when you started, it was brand new. You just learned as you went? - Yeah, pretty much. I had the idea for a couple of years before I ever started it. And I didn't really know how to start it. You know, I'm the millennial farmer and I'm the guy that's on YouTube and social media. So a lot of people think that I would be really great with technology, but I really don't. I mean, if I bumped the wrong button on my camera, I have to have my wife do a factory reset on it. 'Cause I just don't, I've never been one to really care about super high tech stuff. It's just not my thing. You know, I think some of it's interesting and a lot of it's very useful, but I'm not as techy of a guy as you would probably think. So yeah, I just jumped in and kind of went for it and figured it out from there. I actually had a YouTube, how to start a YouTube channel. - It just has to have a good cell phone that works of memory in it. - Yeah, that helps a lot. - So with this, you've been able to partner with John Deere. You were set up pretty well this spring to plant orchard. - Yeah, we were, we've used a lot of John Deere equipment for a lot of years and yeah, we got the new exact shot, fertilizer system on our new planter, so we got the exact emerge planter, high speed planter with exact shot fertilizer system. Yeah, it was a major step up when we started going to those systems. - How fast did you go? - Well, they say 10 miles an hour, but you can definitely, I don't know if I can say it or not, but I know people who have told me that they've gotten more than 10 miles an hour and it takes a lot of speed before the accuracy starts dropping off. Yes. - 15? - No, no. - You tried it though, didn't you? - I don't know if I tried to definitely push 12 and a half, 13 before anything started dropping off, but you know, for me personally, 10 miles an hour feels really fast in a 60 foot planter. I mean, it's nerve-wracking. So I find myself, I plant a lot at eight and a half, nine miles an hour and that's just fast enough unless the clouds get started coming from the West and that's when you find out how fast you can really go. - Well, that's still pretty fast. All right, we do got to go to our live in the Farm Progress Show. We're talking with Zach Johnson, the Millennial Farmer, whoa, man. Hang after the break. ♪ A ground shaker, a rule breaker ♪ ♪ Hold tight, he'll roll you through every acre ♪ - This segment is brought to you by Common Ground. Are you looking for an easy way to buy, sell, or lease your land? Well, check out Common Ground, where they connect landowners and farmers and hunters too, by the way. Go to commonground.io, that's commonground.io. (upbeat music) - All right, we're on the next short farm of radio. We are live at Farm Progress Show here just outside of Bill and Iowa. Mrs. Sharp farmer and I, we got an Airbnb, didn't we? - We did, you know, we were lucky enough to have all our kids come from all quarters and so it was wonderful. We got you right now, last night, we'd have 'em here and be part of John Deere. - A little bit of a self-flug. We did launch the farmer, a deer blind series. You can see it at the John Deere boot that become here. It's, it's sizable. - It's sizable because you know, you have to be able to, either you're a gator underneath. See, that is fantastic. If you want to drive a gator, climb the stairs and then hunt with your son, or your grandson, or your granddaughter, whatever, there's lots of room. - Or just get away from all of them? - Yes, I mean you could spend the night, it's so comfortable. - You could, is it larger than your Airbnb? - No, so you got a nice house. It's a little sketch, and I did sleep well last night 'cause I'd listened to you, another YouTuber, that Mr. Ballon, and he talked about like, someone got an Airbnb and then they found a guy in the basement, so all night, every time I heard something and I was like, Emily, go check. - I don't know why you keep a listen to something like that. There's also kind of a weird closet. It's like a little hop-it door, and there's a weird closet there, so, yeah. - You didn't check in there? - No. - No funny smells? - Oh, funny smell. - Oh, that's good. - Today, with Zach Johnson, you may know him as the millennial farmer. Does that bother you at all that I mean, maybe people wouldn't I am? - No, I don't think so. I mean, I think most people that watch probably know it by now, but I do. I kind of wish it would have been more convenient if I had just named the channel my name, if I had just named it Zach Johnson. You know, that would have been easier, but I'm not. There was a time for sure when the channel was growing really big where I also felt like the name was kind of a big piece of that. - Oh, yeah. - So, it's kind of a catch 22, I guess you could say. - No, I think you've done an excellent job of marketing, you are into a lot of other stuff. Tell me about this new deal with the shooting complex. - Yeah, so myself and three other families, we bought the Empire Canal in Alexandria, Minnesota, and we've got 25 trap houses there. We have the Minnesota State Championship, the high school shoot there, and the adult shoot about a week or two after that. So, it's a busy place in June that high school shoot is actually the largest shooting event in the world every year. So, we had over 9,000 kids come through there in nine days this year, and it is busy. I'm kind of lucky that the other three families take on a lot bigger role in the, as far as the management of the place. Tyler Notch is one of the other owners or the full management of it this year. So, he quit his big time corporate job to manage the place there, and we've seen a lot of improvements with him being on the grounds and having one of the owners there. So, it's been really cool. We've got a ski field there as well, and we're looking into maybe talking about some sporting clay stuffs and adding that to it as well. - That's awesome. I feel like there's been a big push for that. I feel like it's becoming more popular again for even 4-8, 4-8 to different groups to have programs like that. Do you feel like you're ever seen more and more kids getting into it? - Yeah, it's become really popular in Minnesota. You know, it's kind of funny when you look at who's out there and who shoots trap, it's older guys and really young guys. It's kind of like my generation got skipped there where you weren't allowed to talk about guns in school or have the gun in your pickup, and they didn't have classes that teach you how and like they did when my dad was a kid. So, it's kind of like it skipped a generation or two in there, and now it's all older guys or young guys. And the high school teams, some of them are just massive. They've just got so much interest in it. It's really cool to see. - Are you good? - No, not really. - Well, you've got to be somewhat good. It'd be embarrassing if you were part owner, or you couldn't. - I handle embarrassment pretty well. (audience laughs) - Was that even on your radar? I mean, did you enjoy shooting me? That you were like, "Oh, someday I want to be part of this?" - So, when I was dealing with it, I did a lot of waterfall hunting. I did a little bit of everything hunting, but ducks was really what I enjoyed. You know, my buddies and I would get up at 5 a.m. and go duck hunting before we'd go to school. And I guess I can admit it now 'cause they can't really kick me out. But yeah, we'd leave the guns in the truck every day and they'd be in the school parking lot, but as long as you weren't stupid, nobody knew any different. But we were going duck hunting. As I got older and had to take more active role on the farm and had three kids, it takes up so much of your time and then you're busy during an harvest and it just kind of fell by the wayside. But I've always enjoyed shooting and the shooting sports. And I have a good friend, Steve Gould, the Gould brothers or Target for his channel is called now, but he's always been very active in exhibition shooting. And he knew the guys that owned the shooting park and he was always pushing to, actually he wanted to buy the thing. And it was kind of like one day they suddenly called him and said, "All right, if you're serious, "we'd like to talk about this." And so he went to some of his close buddies that he felt would make a good team and we talked about it for several months and pieced it together. And the next thing, you know, we own a trap range. - Bette, where you take four or five in one hand, you throw it up and (mumbles) - That's what Steve does and he does it easily. He's taught me to shoot upside down so I can hold the gun above my head and he'll throw it. And then I can do it upside down. So I'm standing right side up, but I got the gun. So I'm holding the gun over my head and he taught me how to kind of find that site window and hit the clay as it's coming. - Would you make a net up? - I'm not, it's on YouTube, Rob. - That's like the home washer and one of the guy would hold up the mirror. - It's just like that, but way more badass. So Steve can do that kind of thing. Last summer when we did kind of like a grand opening thing shocked, it was seven or eight clays in one shot. And I only missed one of them before they hit. - Oh. - That's like, that's my biggest. And it was mostly luck. - That's a big deal because that's like a record that they all try to get. Like how many plays you can shoot before it's a ground. - And so I think Steve's brother Aaron, I hope I'm not miss speaking there, but I believe Aaron's got the record for that. And I don't know how many it is, but it's a lot more than I shot. - I think it would be impressive just to hold that many and want me out. - Yeah, I can throw one very well and Steve can throw eight or 10 of them. - Yeah, well you're tall. I'll tell her if. - I'm close to six, three. - Yeah, I don't like standing next to you. - I get that a lot. - I don't feel like a short person until you're here. - Sorry. - So maybe just don't. - Okay, all right. I will wear the high heels next time. - All right, we're gonna go to break. We are live at the Farm Farm show. We're the John Deere Boot. Just outside of Ben and Iowa and Zack Johnson. What was that? All right, I have to do the break. - This segment is brought to you by Common Ground. Are you looking for an easy way to buy, sell, or lease your land? Well, check out Common Ground where they connect landowners and farmers and hunters too, by the way. Go to commonground.io, that's commonground.io. - We are back at the Farm Progress show just outside of Ben and Iowa. And Ben and I are for the next three days, aren't we? - We are, all three, yeah. - So it's nice to be at the John Deere Boot. They don't have a whole lot of air-conditioned spots around here. - They don't, they don't. - Including this booth. Is it just me or is it me coming off this light behind? I think, I don't think that's just you, I would agree. - I think as cool as a logo would be, I think it's time to maybe nod at that. Just back sweat. Today we have the Milleta del Farmer's Act Johnson, barber up in Minnesota, YouTube, her superstar, shooting complex person, and a Ricky Bobby, a racer. You've been into that for a while, haven't you? - Yeah, I started that when I was 15, and now my son's in his second year, he's 14. So we got two cars out there now, we're both going. - Do you get nervous watching him? - No, not anymore, I did. I was probably more nervous than I expected to be his first few races, but no, I did not really. I get nervous for him in the same way that I get nervous where I want to do well. You know, like I hope everything goes well, safety-wise. - It's pretty safe, isn't it? - It's fairly safe, yeah. You're really, you're strapped in there good. The seats have gotten good, the belts are good. The safety equipment's gotten really, really good. - So is it true for a little bit more money? You can go just a little bit faster. - Ah, not really, it's, I mean, it doesn't hurt anything, but no, it doesn't, it isn't always just more money. - Okay, well, it'd be fun to try though, what? - It would be, well, I know some guys who do. - And what type of reason is this? - So it's dirt track, circle track, I run and modify it, it'd be like, it's a was soda mod, so it'd be like the IMCA mods that they're gonna run over and boom here for the Super Nationals next week, or like a UMP mod, just a little bit different engine rules, same chassis. - So how much time does that take? Are you guys traveling on weekends? Are you taking a hot day? - It takes a lot. You know, when I was growing up, I'd never went to any of my buddies' weddings or bachelor parties or anything, 'cause all I ever wanted to do was race. So it was Friday, Saturday, and a lot of times, Sundays just, that's all I wanted to do, but when you get older and you start having kids and the girls aren't into it as much and the wife gets a little burned out on it, so you then you gotta figure out how to balance it all the time. So we just kinda pick and choose what we're gonna do and we still do way too much of it. It would be nice if it only took the time that it takes to get to the track and be at the track, but it's your more time in the shop all the time. - You know, you got to like the pimped out pretty earlier and all that, so. - It's relatively pimped out. (laughing) That's half but fun. - Yeah, I think it is. - So who do you think should get these hats? We've got two hats. - Well, they said something about, well, he said whoever can scream the loudest. - Yeah, but it's sort of damn show. - Well, the Argentini, person of Argentina, I mean, probably came the farthest. - He gets a long toe award. - Yeah, you're right, from Argentina. - The other guy that says he's from Argentina is not even paying attention. - I know. - Yeah, he's from Argentina. - Where did you fly into? Where did you fly into from Argentina? - I fly into New York, yeah. - Into New York? - Then Chicago, and then you drove here? That's a long. - And you were in Chicago and didn't get shot. (laughing) - I'm happy for you. Okay. - Thank you for coming. - Yeah. - Zaha asked you to go to get a hat out too, and then Emily gave it out. - That's all that works. - Sorry, I'm out. - I'm sure it's to get to whoever. - Emily, how do I give this out with you? - Thank you. I don't know, maybe you should decide. - Oh, that's not, oh, you're using the kit. - A cute kit. - He did use the kit, but he got our attention, didn't he? - Yep, he did. - So it worked. Come on up your button. - Hannah deserves it. - But hey, this is the kid's hat, not yours. You're not allowed to look at it. - And don't even touch it. - All right. - There you go, bud. - Rachel, what's your name? - What's the name? - Gabe. - Gabe, are you enjoying the show? - No. - All right, we're gonna have to take the hat back. (laughing) - I thought me. - He's stiff. - It's like a house. - It's stiff. - He doesn't like it 'cause he's stuck. You're listening to us. That's what it is. - There's tractors out there and all sorts of stuff. - Is it fun doing what you do? Because, I mean, you're not only farming, but now, I mean, you've got this full community. You want around this farm, so people, they feel like they know you. They wanna talk to you. You wanna say, "Do you enjoy that?" - Yeah, I do. After a couple of days, it gets long just because, you know, you're just having so much conversation with so many people. But I imagine it's the same thing for the people that are working the John Deere booth here or any of the other booths on the grounds. It's just, it's a lot of work, right? We call it, I guess we call it people out at some point. But yeah, no, it's a lot of fun to get out and see the people and it definitely, it turned into a job when I didn't expect that to happen. But I mean, it's a job that I can work. - And I mean, it's not just a job for you. I mean, the wife's involved, family's involved. - Yeah, yeah, it is what my wife does now, besides, you know, take care of the kids and run kids around as much as she asks you 'cause we got three young kids that are all involved in everything and none of them can drive yet. So she does a lot of that. But yeah, she handles so much of like the editing and working with people and sponsors and handling emails and everything on the backend. Nobody ever sees or would probably expect. And so she handles so much of that. I mean, there's no way that I could do it anywhere close to the capacity I do it without her being behind me. - Any comment? - Yeah, no, I think that's fantastic. I think if you're gonna be who you are and do your YouTube and travel as much as like you need another person to help you out. So I think that's awesome. You guys can do it together. So we can be together too, right? Otherwise you'd be gone so much of the time. - Right, yep, yeah, it's just, yeah, it's busy. It's crazy busy. I mean, people, I'm sure you guys are the same way with the radio shows and everything you got going on. It's a lot to coordinate and just keep on top of. - If less, if your spouse was not on board with all of this, I mean, you wouldn't be sitting up there. - No, no, you have to have that support 'cause otherwise there's gonna be way too much push, push, pull, right? - Or you just get a new spouse. - Push, you're fine. (laughing) - Don't comment. - No, no, maybe. - Well, we'll die. We'll die, no. - Where can people find all your stuff? Where's the best place to go to find all your stuff? - Well, the best place to be to the millennial farmer YouTube channel, but I'm also active on Instagram and Facebook, a little bit on TikTok. I haven't done anything on Snapchat for five years. That one's, I'm too old for Snapchat. - I didn't know there was an age limit. - I didn't either, but when I got over there, I just felt old, so I ran away. - Is that why you were busy too old? - You said, oh, I guess that was a very decision, Zach. (laughing) - It's been fun to watch you succeed. Like I said, as a farmer from Illinois, just raised like four to two A.B.'s. You have helped my farm because you're bringing awareness, you're making a far-meed look good. I know it can't always be easy sometimes to, take the other route and just kind of go negative, which gets more attention, but you've done a great job navigating all of it. And I think you really ought to be committing. - Well, that was, thank you. This is a very nice compliment. I don't know what else to say. A lot of it's luck. I don't think that hard about it. I'm just lucky. - If you're nice to them at the end of the interview, they don't know what to do. (laughing) Confuse them. - Hey, look at him, he's like, who is this guy? Who am I taught? - All right, Zach, I don't want you to go anywhere because guess who's coming up next? - Oprah Winfrey. - Sean Hady from Canada. - That was my second guess. - He says he's not a fan of yours, so cool. - We got a hater? We're bringing a hater? - Yeah, I'm a fan of yours. - All right. All right. Thank you everybody. We'll catch you next time. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) ♪ Shake up ♪