Peterson Farm Brothers visit convention

The Peterson Farm Brothers, known for their viral videos and songs, made an appearance at the 155th Annual Session of the National Grange on Thursday.

Greg, the oldest of the Peterson brothers, hosted a workshop for the benefit of Grangers this afternoon.

A fifth-generation Swedish farm family, the Petersons found a great deal of success after developing social media presence by parodying popular songs in a “farm life” style.

While many online personalities create a fictional character in their social media influence, the Petersons are legitimate farmers of wheat, corn, milo, soy, sunflowers and alfalfa. Their rise to social media relevance happened while running their nearly 3,000-acre farm in rural Kansas.

Growing up, the brothers (and sister) were involved in extracurriculars of all kind. While they were not actually Grange members (the nearest Grange Hall to their farm is 87 miles away), they were active in 4-H, Future Farmers of America (FFA), music, leadership and a variety of sports.

These activities helped them make the plunge into the world of social media, where they have enjoyed nominal success for nearly a decade.

Their workshops gave attendees the opportunity to ask questions of Peterson. His answers were informed, poignant, and equal measures from the heart and mind.

He touched on subjects spanning from organic farming practices, legacy of farming in the midwest and the future of the Peterson Farm Brothers and their creative enterprises.

“I wanted to be an NBA basketball player as a kid,” he said “If I had a message to 15-year old me, it would be to try some things. Even if it is stuff that your friends don’t like, step out on your own and take some
risks.”

Later on Thursday evening, the Peterson Farm Brothers presented a concert for Grange members and the public at the Century II M. J. Teall Theater.

The concert interspresed stories of farming, their rise to popularity and singing along to their videos that can still be found on YouTube, Facebook and other social media platforms.

“We never intended to go viral,” Greg Peterson said. “It just happened that one video we did was picked up at the right time.”

They chronicled their journey from the farm to the big city and back to their farm, which they still operate, despite their success.