Podcast Summary: "Millennial Farmer Makes More Money On YouTube Than Farming"

Podcast: Life Wide Open with CboysTV
Guests: Zach Johnson (Millennial Farmer) and the CboysTV Crew (CJ, Ben, Ryan, Ken, Evan, Micah)
Release Date: February 27, 2024

Episode Overview

In this episode, the CboysTV crew welcomes fellow Minnesota YouTuber and sixth-generation farmer Zach Johnson, known as the “Millennial Farmer.” They dive into Zach’s remarkable journey from traditional farming to YouTube stardom, discussing how online content creation has not only expanded his influence but also become a more lucrative pursuit than farming itself. With a blend of business insights, honest talk about the realities of modern agriculture, and their trademark laughter, the group explores the intersections of technology, agriculture, internet fame, and behind-the-scenes YouTuber life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Minnesota Life & Harsh Winters

• The group shares stories about shooting in blizzards and surviving harsh Minnesota winters. Zach confirms that even seasoned locals find it tough:

  “No, I. We went 200ft from my house and I didn't even want to go out there. Yeah, it was horrible.” (03:34, Zach)

2. Origins & Rise of Millennial Farmer

• Zach is a sixth-generation farmer, growing mainly corn and soybeans.
• He started filming to address misinformation about agriculture (GMOs, pesticides, etc.) and bring transparency to non-farmers.

  “What I wanted to do was figure out a way to… talk about that stuff, but not in a defensive way. Just be actually transparent about it…” (06:21, Zach)

• He learned filming and editing entirely from other YouTubers and admitted to not being tech-savvy.
• His wife encouraged him to take YouTube seriously after some early videos gained traction around 2017-2018.

3. Life Balance: Farmer or YouTuber?

• When asked how he identifies, Zach says he typically tells people he’s a farmer:

  “I just say I'm a farmer… your average Joe Schmo that's 60 years old isn't going to get it.” (08:14, Zach)

4. Filming Family & Farm Crew

• It took Zach years to get comfortable involving others on camera—for a time, even his coworkers didn't realize he was filming for YouTube.
• Family and crew, like “Jim,” have gradually become characters in his videos, often to their surprise and eventual amusement.

5. Video Creation Process and Audience Expectations

• Zach mostly documents daily farming realities, worrying at times about repetition but realizing audiences love the ongoing story:

  “I've been saying that to my wife for three or four years now. It's like, I feel like a lot of days I'm making the same video. She's like, yeah, but you know, half million people will watch it. So, yeah, keep making it.” (11:53, Zach)

6. Farming Technology & Automation

• Discussion covers how modern tractors and combines can practically operate themselves with precision GPS and automation.

  “You can set it up for as much automation or as little as you want...We can now sync our grain cart to the combine...John Deere now has fully automated tractors...” (30:14 – 31:01, Zach)

7. Brand Partnerships & The Realities of Sponsored Content

• Zach has worked with multiple manufacturers (John Deere, Case, etc.), sharing how demoing new machines for videos can actually slow down real farm operations.
• Brand deals are a major part of monetization, but viewers sometimes still critique “selling out.”

8. Revenue: YouTube vs Farming

• Zach affirms that YouTube now brings in more income than farming does:

  “It's the YouTube.” (36:43, Zach)

• He highlights how this supplemental income has provided security and savings for his farm during tough years, underscoring the razor-thin margins and volatility of modern agriculture.

9. Barriers to Entry: How Hard Is It to Farm?

• The cost and difficulty of entering farming are daunting. Modern operations require millions of dollars in capital, and Zach notes that most new entrants rely on creative direct-to-consumer farming, rather than commodity grains, to get started.
• He tells the story of Grant Hilbert, who parlayed gaming YouTube success into real agricultural land ownership.

  “Grant didn’t farm...he started a YouTube channel where he played Farming Simulator...and it just exploded...he put a bunch of it [money] in farming.” (38:15, Zach)

10. Overhead, Risk, and Lifestyle Realities

• The group discusses unpredictable income, high fuel usage (~600-700 gallons of diesel per day during harvest), and the stress of massive overhead—contrasting perceptions that all farmers are wealthy or “subsidy rich.”

  “It's just big dollars...the margin can be the same as any other business, but the dollars are moving.” (47:30, Zach)

11. Audience Criticism, Haters, and Social Media Culture

• Zach shares how even fellow farmers hit him with jealousy or “multi-generational privilege” critiques.
• Comments can be harsh, especially when he shows any mistakes or tries sponsored content, yet he recognizes most haters are projecting their own insecurities.

  “I get the comments from the guys, girls, whoever, like, like, oh, you like. You have a hobby of making videos about that. Yeah, it's a cute little hobby.” (60:17, Zach)

12. YouTube Operations: Team or Solo?

• His channel is largely a two-person operation: Zach films, and his wife does 90% of the editing.
• They recently hired a virtual assistant to help manage emails.
• Zach prefers keeping the channel small and true to its roots, rather than building a large production team.

13. Fame, Boundaries, & Real-World Consequences

• Both Zach and the Cboys share problems with visitors showing up to their properties unannounced—a weird, sometimes invasive consequence of YouTube fame.
• They joke about signage, gates, and Minnesota Nice conflicting with personal privacy.

14. Social Media Strategy: Youtube vs. TikTok

• Zach is more unfiltered and direct on TikTok, seeing it less as a family brand and more as a place to joke, roast, and be candid.

15. Notable Jokes, Quotes, and Memorable Moments

• On when farming comes first:
  “I'm going to give you the farmer answer and say it kind of depends on the weather.” (35:47, Zach)
• On people showing up at the farm:
  “We have a longer driveway...an eight foot sign that you can't miss. Because I didn't want to deal with the gate.” (54:35, Zach; 55:43 for full policy)
• On YouTube haters:
  “Even though I completely despise you, that was a pretty good answer.” – a comment Zach received (59:08)
• On his YouTube team:
  “There's nobody, I don't think that has ever edited another farm video besides my wife or I. So it's just the two of us...” (62:11, Zach)
• On audience criticism:
  "People just think, like one day my dad was 40 years old and was like, here you go, have fun." (60:02, Zach)
• On being compared to Bob Ross:
  “It compared me to Bob Ross. It called me the Bob Ross of agriculture.” (66:18, Zach)
  Banter ensues:
  “I've never heard anyone call Bob Ross a cocksucker...” (66:36, Zach, tongue-in-cheek)
• On TikTok:
  “…if I'm gonna spend more time on TikTok, then I get to be who I like. I want to tell somebody off once in a while.” (73:47, Zach)

Notable Timestamps

• 06:21 – Zach’s YouTube origin story and motivations
• 11:53 – Discussion about repetitive routines and content
• 30:14 – Modern farm technology, automation with tractors/combines
• 36:43 – YouTube exceeds farming as a revenue stream
• 38:15 – Grant Hilbert’s transition from virtual to real farming
• 47:30 – High costs and the reality of farm business margins
• 54:35 – Dealing with fans showing up in person, signage policy
• 60:17 – Addressing “daddy’s money” haters and stereotypes
• 62:11 – YouTube workflow and the Millennial Farmer “team”
• 66:18 – Being called “the Bob Ross of agriculture”
• 73:47 – TikTok persona vs. YouTube persona

Tone & Style

The episode is upbeat, honest, and laced with candid banter, poking fun at rural stereotypes, Minnesota life, the oddities of online fame, and the day-to-day grind of both content creation and farming. Zach’s dry, self-deprecating humor and the Cboys’ energetic curiosity make for a fun, approachable discussion—even when breaking down complex or serious topics.

Final Thoughts

Zach Johnson’s story is a testament to how curiosity, transparency, and a willingness to experiment can transform not only personal income but the culture of an entire industry. The episode shines in its realism about both farming and content creation—never glossing over the hard realities or the surprising perks. And, true to both the CboysTV and Millennial Farmer brands, no one ever takes themselves too seriously.

For Listeners Wanting More

• Check out Zach (Millennial Farmer) on YouTube and Instagram for authentic, behind-the-scenes farm life and (occasionally) unexpectedly viral tractor pulls.
• Subscribe to Life Wide Open for weekly episodes packed with similar Midwestern humor, YouTube behind-the-scenes, and entrepreneurial insights.