He was a beloved farming legend. But for Reddit, his work ethic meant something else
David Brandt, who died last week, was an Ohio farmer known for his pioneering work in no-till farming. But social media users knew him better as the overall-clad farmer from the "honest work" meme.
The death of David Brandt, an Ohio agricultural giant who became the face of a popular meme, is sending shockwaves through two communities, both of whom are remembering him fondly for the opposite messages he came to represent.
Brandt died last Saturday after being injured in a car crash, his family confirmed to NPR.
For farmers across the U.S., he was known as a leader and mentor, a man credited with pushing farmers along Ohio's corn belt to adopt the sustainable agriculture technique of no-till farming.
But for dry-humored social media users, Brandt will be remembered as the random face behind the "honest work" meme, a shorthand way to poke fun at what constitutes labor, real or imagined, in the internet age.
