The typical farmer likes to get an early start to their day. Derek Klingenberg is no different. He likes to be in his Morton farm shop by 5:00 a.m.
That’s about where the similarities end between him and the “average farmer.”
Lately, a typical session in the farm shop has included rapping about life as a farming father and cloning himself with video editing software.
Yes, this farm producer from Kansas is also a video producer.
In the last two months alone, Klingenberg aka “Kling Possum” has put together two parody music videos, a compilation of blizzard footage from his farm, an original track called “Daddy D” and a “Harlem Shake” to top it off.
Those six videos have amassed nearly 150,000 views. That includes his most recent viral hit, “Ranching Awesome” (a parody of Macklemore’s “Thrift Shop”) which had nearly 95,000 views after only two days.
Klingenberg isn’t the only farmer to go viral. The Peterson Farm Brothers have done a pair of agriculture parodies that have resulted in more than 21 million YouTube views.
“What amazes me is that agriculture people are in some ways competing against each other but yet when something like this happens we all support each other,” Klingenberg said. “What blows me away is the support from agriculture we get from all over the world.
“I’m enjoying the response. I’m not used to that.”
Klingenberg is a musician at heart. He decided to start a YouTube channel and make music videos after his blue grass group broke up.
“I started off pretty simple and then I really liked it,” Klingenberg said. “So I went all out and bought really good gear. I’ve been teaching myself how to do all this stuff.”
The farm shop he had Morton construct last summer serves as his studio. Parts of many videos have been recorded inside his Morton building.
“Before, I had my setup in an old shed and it was cold and dirty,” Klingenberg said. “Boy, now this is nice. I have a ton of lights in it that lights it up pretty well for the camera.”
Although he has churned out a number of videos over the past few months, Klingenberg does have a day job he’ll need to be attending to.
“I kind of need a break plus corn planting is coming on,” Klingenberg said. “I’m sure I’ll do something again.