BUCKMAN, Minn. — Each day Travis Kahl walks out of the house with a GoPro in hand to video anything and everything he may be doing that day.
Travis and his wife, Sarah, have been making YouTube and TikTok videos since February 2023 to show the public what a typical dairy farm looks like.
“I think it’s cool to be able to show people what day to day really looks like around here,” Sarah said. “People don’t realize dairy farming isn’t just milking cows.”
The Kahls milk 170 cows in a double-8 parlor near Buckman.
The family does not watch any television.
“All we do watch is farming videos on YouTube,” Travis said.
The Kahls thought they could maybe do something like that on their farm.
Since the Kahls have started creating TikTok videos, they are quickly gaining popularity on the platform.
“One of our TikTok’s had 740,000 views,” Sarah said.
Sarah said her dad had a hobby of videography. After he passed, they were able to watch the videos he had made. Travis and Sarah decided they wanted to have something like that for their kids.
“We take pictures with our phones all the time, but we miss those quirky little interactions between them and their little voices,” Sarah said.
They currently post one to two videos a week. Some are longer and some are shorter.
“I shoot for a TikTok a day” Sarah said.
Travis and Sarah have three kids, Tucker, Palmer, and Sayler. Their fourth baby is expected later this fall. The kids have also started to help film videos throughout the day.
Sarah said her favorite part about making videos is having the kids involved.
“Our first video ever, I was walking across the yard and (Sayler) was in a baby carrier and she was 6 months old,” Sarah said. “Now she’s running around taking interviews of herself.”
Travis said his favorite part to show is the animals.
“I like showing the cattle,” Travis said. “When you show the cows or tractors, (the kids) enjoy it and I feel like other people probably enjoy that too.”
The Kahls work as a team to get the videos edited. Travis condenses the video and cuts out large chunks of time. Then Sarah will add final details such as music.
“It’s a creative mentality,” Sarah said.
Depending on length, every YouTube video will take about 3-4 hours of editing, they said.
“We divide and conquer,” Sarah said.
Starting out, the Kahls had old computers and quickly realized they needed to upgrade their equipment.
“We would upload our footage and we would have to wait 24 hours,” Sarah said. “We did finally buy a new computer and it makes editing so much easier.”
All the kids have shown interest in videotaping and do their own interviews throughout the day.
“They are raised by the same parents but their personalities are so different,” Sarah said.
They also all have their favorite chores or tasks on the farm.
Tucker and Palmer like riding along with their dad in any farm equipment.
Sayler’s favorite part of farming is feeding calves every night. Sarah said she knows exactly what to do. Sayler will head to the milk house, grab a bottle and make her way to the calf barn. She will often have to wait for someone to open the door for her, but she is ready to feed the calves.
Through this journey the Kahls have learned many things from videoing to editing. Sarah said they also have learned to have a lot of patience.
When Travis is videotaping, his days go slower since he has to make sure to reposition the camera as he is going about his tasks.
Another learning curve is trying to figure out the best equipment to use to achieve higher quality videos.
“I am always researching what can make this a little better or a little more efficient, but also better to watch,” Sarah said.
The Kahls want to purchase a good drone to get aerial footage. They have tried different brands but have not found one that lasts.
“That’s kind of next on the list of things I would like to do in the world of our social media journey,” Sarah said.
Sometimes when Travis and Sarah are out and about, they are randomly stopped and questioned about what they are doing.
“Someone that you wouldn’t expect to watch your videos watches them,” Travis said.
The Kahls are getting recognized in communities outside of their hometown. Travis said one of his uncles had an appointment in St. Cloud and the nurse recognized his last name. She asked him if he knew the people that did the videos since she watches them.
They are unsure what the future of their videos looks like. Sarah said they hope to set aside two days a week to post videos but with kids and a farming schedule, they are not sure what is realistic.
“They (the videos) are slowly starting to pick up, which is fun,” Sarah said. “Hopefully it goes somewhere in time.”
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