Using social media, Punk Rock Farmer shares pro-ag message with audience 

By Jonathan Lawler, Punk Rock Farmer 

Back in 2016, I sat on an old 560 International tractor talking to a reporter, not realizing that interview would change the course of my life. I had just started Brandywine Creek Farms, transforming my wholesale vegetable farm into a platform to address food insecurity, promote agricultural advocacy and provide education. 

What I didn’t know at the time was that the reporter was putting me on the cover of the Indianapolis Star. The next morning, my phone blew up with calls from friends and family telling me my story had hit the front page. 

Since then, my journey has taken me across the country and around the world. I’ve had the honor of sharing my work on food insecurity and agriculture with audiences from New York to California, England to Australia, and throughout South America. Along the way, I’ve worked with some of the best film and media production teams in the country, and my story has even been featured by one of my personal heroes – Mike Rowe. 

As my advocacy grew, I realized something: the farmers I was meeting had incredible stories of their own. Stories of grit, resilience, legacy and love for the land. Those stories rarely made it beyond their fields. In 2021, I decided it was time to start telling those stories, especially those of Indiana farmers (and, of course, my father-in-law, a proud generational farmer from Ohio). Alongside my wife and a handful of creative partners, we launched Punk Farmer Media. 

As a filmmaker, I’ve traveled to Arizona, Colorado, Kentucky, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio and beyond. What I’ve discovered is that the story of the Hoosier farmer is the story of the American farmer. Their shared theme is resilience, and their spirit is one of relentless grit. But in my advocacy, I continued to notice the gap between the American public and their understanding of where their food, fuel and fiber come from is growing wider by the day. 

Misinformation, buzzwords and click-driven narratives online and on social media have distorted the reality of modern agriculture. As someone with a strong social media presence and deep roots in ag, I’ve taken this as both a responsibility and an opportunity to educate the public and amplify the voices of real farmers. 

That’s why we created My Farm, My Story, the latest project by Punk Farmer Media dedicated to bridging that gap and giving farmers the platform to speak their truth. 

Many who work with me outside of the ag space have noted my ability to reach beyond the traditional farm echo chambers and connect with people who have no background in farming. Whether through media, storytelling or advocacy, I’ve consistently brought non-ag people into the fold helping them understand, appreciate and even champion the realities of modern agriculture. 

My Favorite memory in advocating happened here in my home state. I remember sitting in the waiting room of Q95’s radio station getting ready to go on a sports talk show. I thought, “Why am I here? These guys are kinda like shock jocks, and their audience probably doesn’t care about ag.” 

I was so wrong. Those guys asked me everything. It was amazing. For a week after that we got social media messages from people saying they heard the interview and really appreciated the message. 

I’ve often been told that my approach is more aggressive and “outside the box” than most who represent agriculture in social media and traditional media. I don’t mind. In today’s culture, we need bold, passionate voices who won’t back down. Care to join me? The future of food depends on it.