David Brandt

David William Brandt (November 16, 1946 – May 21, 2023) was an American farmer known for working on sustainable agriculture techniques, specifically no-till farming and cover crops. Outside of the agriculture field, he was known on the internet as a meme, appearing in an image macro paired with the phrase "It ain't much, but it's honest work".

Early life Brandt grew up in Carroll, Ohio, in a family of farmers, and he worked on his grandfather's farm from a young age. In high school he managed a "farrow-to-finish" pig operation. Soon after his return, his father was killed in a tractor accident. He also received $3000 from a program that sought to encourage farmers to try no-till techniques.

From 1981 until 1984 Brandt worked for the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service as a local agriculturalist. He moved away from raising livestock for profit to focus on raising crops. Brandt served as the president of the Ohio No-Till Council for 14 years.

Brandt worked with other farmers and organizations to provide training on his conservation techniques. He also hosted research projects on his farmland, including some run by Ohio State University. In addition to working on the farm, he also traveled and spoke at various engagements, including a NATO conference, about sustainable agriculture.

Recognition In 2012, then-chief of the USDA-NRCS Dave White dubbed Brandt "the Obi-Wan Kenobi of healthy soil".

In 2022, No-till on the Plains, an educational and farming nonprofit based in Kansas, created the No-till David Brandt Soil Legacy Award, to be given to "spotlight producers that had committed their lifework to improving soil health". The inaugural award was given to Brandt.

Meme

In 2012, Brandt's photo was taken during a Natural Resources Conservation Service event. It was posted online by the USDA in 2014. It first began circling as a meme in 2018, with the first known example being posted on Reddit.