Legends of Ag: Sonne Farms
Strayhorn visits the family-run Sonne Farms from Mt Vernon, South Dakota! Cole Sonne is changing the way the world looks at farmers by inviting us behind the scenes into his life at Sonne Farms. He has amassed nearly 230k subscribers on YouTube and is referred to as, “someone to follow for all things farming.”
The legacy of Sonne Farms begins with brothers who emigrated, without their parents, from Denmark to America through way of Ellis Island. George, a young teen at the time, served in the military for a number of years, and then dedicated his life to building a farm in South Dakota. George eventually passed the farm to his son Bob, who, like his father, served in the military and continued farming. With every generation that passes through the farm, a new operation is added. Bob included his children and grandchildren in the more ‘fun’ activities, such as hunting. Bob’s son Brian eventually took the reins, and quickly propelled Sonne Farms into the big leagues by introducing his contribution to the operation. In 1997, Brian began raising pure-bred Black Angus Bulls and selling to local producers. To date, they typically offer around 70 yearling bulls each season.
Brian and his brother Jeff operated Sonne Farms until recently, when they included Brian’s son, Cole. After attending South Dakota State University, Cole returned to South Dakota and began working on the farm. As a young man in 2019, Cole understood the importance and influence of social media and having a general web presence. With this knowledge, he started a YouTube page and began posting videos of everyday life on the farm. Over time, both the farm and the YouTube success grew. Cole continued to grow alfalfa, grass hay, corn, and soybeans at the farm, and online, Sonne Farms became South Dakota’s largest YouTube channel!
Four years later, the success continues! Cole, his wife Tiffany, father Brian, and uncle Jeff are the main characters on the YouTube channel, where they masterfully narrate and lead their followers through what really happens behind-the-scenes in a farmer’s life. Sonne’s videos are heart-warming and educational, with a 100% chance of laughter. This family will lead you on charming journeys like the fun side of farming, what it’s like to ranch in South Dakota, and the struggles of the daily grind.
In addition to donating giggles for free on the internet, The Sonnes’ sponsor a non-profit organization in the United States called Farm Rescue that provides assistance to family farms who are struggling to continue operations and risk losing livelihoods. Farm Rescue serves in seven states, including North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas.
Challenges will always arise and threaten a farm’s success, but Cole has vowed to bring us along for the ride as he works through the good, the bad, and the ugly. Sonne reveals that while creating daily content can be draining, being able to provide information and entertainment around the world is more important.
Via their videos, we can join Cole, Tiffany, Brian, and Jeff as they tackle the never-ending to-do list that accompanies operating a ranch!
