Amid US Agriculture Slump, Farming Family Blossoms on Social Media

Thought Question: What's a hobby or skill you have that you could imagine turning into something bigger one day?

Since the dawn of farming, those who do it have rotated and diversified their crops. That's to keep their homesteads thriving. Today, many who sow, harvest, and raise livestock are turning to social media to bring home the bacon. 

The Stuart family of Shelbyville, Tennessee, is a prime example. They are Shane and Elizabeth and their sons, Noah, 17, and Caleb, 12. Each day they publish videos of their farming methods at Crossing Creek Farm. Noah also cuts clips about welding. They've garnered millions of views. Noah wants to be a machinist. Caleb puts out videos about fixing golf carts.   

“We realized very quickly that we were going to have to diversify our income streams to keep the farm a farm. So we have added things throughout the years as we could,” Elizabeth Stuart told The Juice. “And by God's good grace and blessings upon us, we've been able to do so and do pretty successfully.” 

That includes building a campground with RV hookups and cabins. They've also opened a store and sell beef, eggs, and other products online.

US family farms are increasingly using the same business model as the Stuarts. That's because it's a tough time for farmers trying to make money just from planting crops and raising cattle. In 2024, according to US data, 86% of such farms earned most of their income from other sources. 

“Farmers are always looking for, ‘What else can I do?’” Stephen Nicholson told The Wall Street Journal. Nicholson works for Rabobank, a farm lender.

In the Stuart family, everyone pitches in and all prosper. Noah welds horseshoe art, fixes trailers, builds firepit stands, and records it for social media. One company was so impressed it gave him a free welding table.

“What a lot of people like are horseshoe pumpkins,” Noah said. “I’ll make just about anything.”

Photo of the Stuart family courtesy of Crossing Creeks website.