Whether it’s her humor, her hard work or her unfiltered take on being a farmer, at 28 years old, Zoe Kent is smashing stereotypes everywhere she turns. She’s already been the owner and operator of her family farm for two years, building on a history rich with a legacy in Buckeye country.
“I’m the eighth generation,” Kent says. “I like to say [my family] moved here, and then we just never left.”
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Zoe Kent (@farmwithzoe)
As a little girl, Kent always dreamed of growing up and being a farmer.
“I can’t remember a time I didn’t want to farm,” Kent says. “I think there was one time in fifth grade I wanted to be a hairdresser. My parents steered me away from that. I couldn’t cut a straight line to save my life.”
Her first job on the farm was driving a 420 lawnmower. As a kid, she wanted to make money, so she took on mowing.
“Then I convinced my dad I could drive kind of straight, so I got bumped up to driving the 4440 and clipping wheat stubble, a job you really can’t mess up too bad,” she says.
As she got older, she kept grabbing the wheel of more jobs on the farm, even running the combine and working ground throughout high school.
“My senior project was learning how to do all the bookwork at the farm, which luckily, in 2013, it was a good year, so it enticed me to come back,” Kent says.
Read More: 3 Farmers Under 30 Hustle to Live Out Their Dreams
While she knew she wanted to farm, her mom was adamant all three of her kids would get an education and explore opportunities off the farm.
“My mom has always put a big value on education in our house. I knew I was going to get a college degree, so I went to Ohio State,” she says.
While at Ohio State, she tackled an ag business degree, while also being on the cheer squad for two years. Kent enjoyed the college life, but she still knew farming is where she wanted to be.
“I have two siblings. None of us ever felt pressured to come back to the farm in any way, but of course, when I said I wanted to come back, my dad was very excited,” Kent says.
She worked on the farm during the summer, and after graduation, she returned home to farm full-time.
“We formed the LLC in 2019, and then in 2021, Dad decided he was ready to retire so I bought him out. This is my second year of owning the farming operation,” she says.
Transitioning the farm was always part of the plan, but the timing of that transition wasn’t.
“It happened faster than we were expecting it to,” Kent says. “When we first set out, it was to run as partners for five years and then begin the transition.”
When a neurological genetic condition created health headwinds for her dad, Mickey, their plan changed.
“Dad didn’t have a hip for seven months, so it was a long process of him not being able to do a lot of things physically, and I was taking on a lot of those roles,” Kent says.
The two also knew if she bought the farm early, Mickey would still be around for advice and guidance for years to come, and today, the two are inseparable.
“I generally just really like hanging out with my dad,” she says.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Zoe Kent (@farmwithzoe)
Her dad, Mickey, is also a fan favorite among her more than 200,000 followers on social media.
“My dad is in the videos, and my dad is always a hit,” Kent says. “I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a single negative comment about my dad.”
Her “Farm with Zoe” Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok accounts have become wildly popular in just two years.
The social media has become a side gig which, had you told me two years ago I’d be doing that, I wouldn’t have thought that to be a thing,” she admits.
The idea was planted by a college friend, and that’s when Kent decided to give social media a try.
“I have some specific boundaries I set,” she says. “I don’t show my family. I don’t show my boyfriend, because I want to keep the focus on the farm.”
She’s also intentional with how she presents herself, committing to never doing her hair and makeup just to record a video. Instead, Kent wants people to have an authentic look at life on the farm today.
“But of course, when you decide to share online, you’re going to get feedback from anyone and everyone, and I know I’ve kind of opened myself up to that,” Kent says. “So, I will get the occasional just dumb comment from someone that thinks I couldn’t possibly know how to drive a tractor and that my dad’s just doing all the work behind the scenes for me, and I’m jumping in to take a video.”
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Zoe Kent (@farmwithzoe)
Instead of getting knocked down by the negativity that comes with social media, Kent uses those comments as fuel.
“Sometimes those comments actually get turned into the best videos I make, because, you know, it kind of fires me up a little bit.
Other messages she receives can be the most motivating, especially ones from other young women who tell her they want to be a farmer, too.
“Those are the ones that that stick with me,” Kent says.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Zoe Kent (@farmwithzoe)
Kent is used to the criticism for those who don’t know her, or what she’s capable of doing. She’s dealt with doses of dubiety since she started farming.
“I would get comments in the beginning, when I came back to the farm, saying ‘You must be your dad’s secretary’, or ‘It’s nice that your dad’s letting you hang out.’ But everyone that I work with daily, understands that I’m capable of doing all the all of the things I need to do on the farm.”
Still, she doesn’t get caught up in stereotypes or labels of being a female farmer. Instead, she empowers others to be their best and enjoy all facets of the farm.
Kent is also a firm believer in surrounding herself with a good team.
“I have one mostly full-time employee, JD. He’s a mechanic,” Kent says. “I am not good with a wrench. So, he keeps everything in working motion, and I’m really thankful for him.”
As an eighth-generation farmer, Kent’s goal is to be able to pass Kent Farms onto the next.
“With that, it does have some pressure added to it,” she says. “My parents never put pressure on me. They’ve never once said this farm must continue for centuries to come or anything like that. But definitely, I do feel a pressure.”
Recently, Kent has started interviewing her dad for YouTube videos, giving viewers a slice of their personalities and an inside look at the challenges and growth the family has seen to this point.
As Kent continues to take to social media with humor and a look at her life on the farm, she’s taking over the reins of the farm while also adding her own flair with social media. She’s thankful she’s been able to do it all with her father by her side. The two have a special bond that uncovered an opportunity for Kent to come back and farm. She cherishes the journey, but she’s also grateful for her father’s greatest gift: the unwavering belief she could.
Related Stories:
At 16 Years Old, 7th-Gen Iowa Farmer Smashes the Mold as Family’s First Female Farmer
