Farmer from popular ‘It’s honest work’ meme dies at 76. ‘We lost a legend’

Dave Brandt, an Ohio farmer known for the viral “It ain’t much, but it’s honest work” Internet meme, has died. He was 76.

Brandt, of Fairfield County, Ohio, was involved in a crash Thursday, May 18, near Champaign, Illinois, according to WCMH. He died overnight Saturday, the station reported.

The Ohio NoTill Council said Brandt suffered nine broken ribs and spinal injuries during the crash.

Known widely as the face of the popular meme, Brandt was also highly regarded “as a global leader in no-till, cover crops, soil health, nutrient dense crops and direct marketing,” according to Ohio’s Country Journal.

“We lost a legend in #regenerativeagriculture. Dave Brandt passed away ... from serious injuries he suffered in a vehicle accident while delivering seed,” said Steve Groff, the CEO of Cedar Meadow Farm. “This is hard as he impacted me greatly and I know thousands of others.”

Brandt “made his corner of the world a better place,” according to Soil Health Academy & Understanding Ag.

“His on-farm experiments and unique innovations are now world-renowned. His humor and enthusiasm were infectious,” the publication said. “He hosted countless workshops on his farm through the years and served as an inspiration and mentor to far too many to count.”

But for many, Brandt will be remembered as the face of one of the Internet’s most-iconic memes.

The photo of Brandt used in the viral image was shared by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2014, but it wasn’t until 2018 when a Redditor posted it on the r/MemeEconomy subreddit with the now-famous “It ain’t much, but it’s honest work” tagline, according to Know Your Meme.

The quote, WCMH reported, is not one a friend and colleague remembers him ever saying. But it “does fit him,” Randal Reeder said.

“It got spread around the world pretty quick,” Reeder told WCMH. “He was pleased with it, he had fun with it, and didn’t object to it at all. It’s a good saying!”