Audio Clip
Through videos and photos, James Pieper takes people who find and follow his Instagram account along on his journey as a young farmer and cooperative owner in Minnesota.
Pieper, who farms near Wells, Minn. with his wife, Sarita, is a guest in this bonus episode of It Takes a Co-op™. They’ve grown soybeans and corn since 2022 on land his great-grandparents once owned, now owned by his grandmother.
He uses Instagram to document the work he does every month, before, during and after the growing season. Pieper says his followers are curious about agriculture – about what he does and why he does it.
“For the folks who don't understand what happens on a farm day to day, they want to know the details,” he says. “They want to know what a farmer does every day, but from a bigger picture overview, they want to know their food is safe. They want to know farmers care about what they're doing and care about the environment.”
His videos, a mix of drone shots, selfies and scenes around his fields and yard, aim to educate and entertain people. His Instagram account has grown fast; he now has up to 101,000 followers.
“It's performed well, and it's very purposeful,” Pieper adds.
He says he wants farmers to have a voice. And adds social media does that and meets consumers where they are.
“Oftentimes our story is getting told by folks who sometimes don't have the farmer’s best interest in mind or have an overly cynical viewpoint,” Pieper says. “And I think it's really important for the farmer to have a voice in that conversation.”
Each month on It Takes a Co-op, we introduce you to people working in agriculture and energy, inside and outside of CHS, whose ideas and insights will help you, and your cooperative, succeed.
Follow and listen to the show on your preferred podcast app. And watch video versions on the CHS YouTube channel. Episodes are posted monthly.
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Have suggestions for topics or guests? Email them to social@chsinc.com.
