Beyond Our Gates ACROSS THE CATTLE GUARD

Texas rancher nationally recognized for advocacy efforts.

By Micah McAtee

If you are on social media, then you’ve probably become familiar with the name, Tucker Brown, better known as the “Seedstock Super Puncher.”

The sixth-generation rancher, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s 2022 beef advocate of the year, and social media star recently joined the TSCRA Talk podcast to share his perspective on the beef and agricultural industries.

R.A. Brown Ranch, where Brown is active in his family operation, has a longstanding commitment to being progressive in the beef business. This is something Brown has embraced, recognizing a need to connect ranchers and non-agriculturalists. Social media has played a significant role in his endeavor.

Brown said there is an evident increase in people wanting to understand the cowboy way of life and where their food comes from. He focuses on authenticity across his social media accounts, which has generated a loyal following.

His audience boasts 229,200 followers on Tik Tok and 107,000 on Instagram, receiving a combined 5 to 6 million video views per month — comparable to the likes of large western brands like Lucchese or Cavender’s.

“My hope is that I can extend the ranch brand and put a face to it, and I think that helps build trust,” Brown said.

“There’s almost a sense of trust that followers have from somebody they have followed for a long period of time. Whether it’s buying products from them, buying beef or just learning about agriculture, there is something about the realism of a video that can add trust from consumer to producer. And that’s what I’m shooting for.”

Although not all ranches are identical in their appearance or head count, they all work toward a common goal: feeding families around the globe. This commonality is what Brown focuses on, working to both educate and entertain — “edutainment” as he calls it.

“The people we’re trying to reach are not searching for facts about beef,” said Brown, describing how he aims to reach people who think they know more about beef production than they actually do.

One way to educate his followers is through question-and-answer sessions. He often gets asked how much land he owns or how many cows he has, which may not fuel the “edutainment” narrative. However, they give Brown an opportunity to engage.

Like the humorous guy he is, Brown tends to answer these questions with a bit of sarcasm.

But he also fields questions pertaining to cattle health, treating infections and what to look for in a sick animal — topics often misunderstood by consumers.

Beyond Our Gates

“Research says that if a consumer is looking for information, the top two people that they will listen to and trust are a veterinarian and a rancher,” Brown said. “And if they trust us and we have the truth to tell, social media is a great platform to share that and reach a lot of people.”

Brown said his social media efforts are a way to fulfill a greater calling.

“We’re in God’s country every day with cattle on a thousand hills in some of the coolest parts of the United States, doing what we love — and people want to see it,” he said. “And we have the opportunity with a little device in our pocket, through just a phone, to share that story.”

To hear more of the conversation with Brown, download TSCRA Talk on your favorite podcast platform, and be sure to follow the “Seedstock Super Puncher” on both Instagram and Tik Tok with handle “tuckerbrownrab.” T C