Sask. ‘Farm TV’ YouTubers attract millions of views just acting naturally
Global News
Mike Mitchell aims for a realistic but entertaining representation of farm life, with all the attendant chores and frustrations.
Mike Mitchell shoots first and speaks in the third person later.
The Saskatchewan farmer’s breezy, off-the-cuff, third-person narration from behind a phone camera has attracted millions of online views for his YouTube channel.
“I talk about the pros and cons, and that’s just how Mike has always done videos,” Mitchell said.
Call it Farm TV, but aside from entertainment, it can dispel myths about modern agriculture, he added.
His roughly 10- to 30-minute videos documenting daily life on a Saskatchewan farm are part of a growing trend of farmers reaching out to consumers with slice-of-life videos.
The reality TV elements of farm YouTube may also point to a desire among urban consumers, who’ve grown detached from rural lifestyles, to reconnect with the sources of their food.
That approach has drawn viewers ranging from other farmers comparing notes to urban dwellers intrigued by authentic farm life.
Whatever it is, it’s popular. Mitchell has accrued roughly 162,000 subscribers on YouTube.
