Ohio farmer Dave Brandt, whose photo became part of the widely used "It Aint Much But It’s Honest Work” meme died on May 21 after his truck collided with a car. The 76-year-old became an internet sensation in 2018 after a Reddit user used Brandt’s photo from his farm and made a meme.
However, Brandt’s life was much more than a face behind a popular meme, he was also known as “the Godfather of soil health” because of his farming techniques.
He was a supporter and promoter of no-till farming, which includes growing crops or pasture without disturbing the soil through tillage. It also helps in cutting down soil erosion and usage of fertilisers and pesticides.
Apart from that, Dave Brandt was a Vietnam War veteran.
A tour of Brandt’s farm was also taken by the French Minister Of Agriculture and Food Stephane Le Foll during a visit to Ohio State University in 2015. His friend Randall Reeder mentioned that Brandt was invited by Le Foll to France to work with no-till farmers there.
“He was recognised nationally and also internationally as a top example of how farming could and should be done, promoting soi health in a way that is also saving the soil and profitable for the farmer. He’s not gonna be forgotten,” Reeder said.