The David Attenborough of Dairy? 84 Year Old Farmer Takes To TikTok To Educate Youth On Farm Life
The chairman of one of Scotland’s largest dairies has become a TikTok sensation at the ripe age of 84, racking up more than half a million views through his channel @DrGraham_, with a mission to educate Gen Z about the importance of the farming industry.
Dr Robert Graham, whose father started Graham’s Family Dairy in the 30s, has taken to his TikTok channel to answer followers’ questions about life on the farm, industry challenges and how high-quality dairy products are made. Some of his followers have referred to him as the ‘David Attenborough of Dairy’. Now Chairman of Graham’s Dairy, Dr. Graham has been sharing everything from how butter is made, to his journey into the farming industry, and the eldest cow he has ever had on the farm – a beloved 18 year-old breeding cow named Arabella.
Dr. Graham said:
“Farming and agriculture have given me and our family so much, and it’s important for traditional farmers to give that back in whatever way we can. It is all a bit of fun and I really didn’t expect so many people to follow me right away, but I enjoy educating people on the day-to-day as a farmer – and who knows, hopefully it inspires one or two to look into the career path.
“It’s not an easy career but a very fulfilling one, and one that is crucial to society so I’m glad to be able to showcase a bit of a behind the scenes look. I love seeing people’s questions and interests come in and trying my best to answer them – though my wife, Jean, does remind me that the cows still need my attention too!”
Since joining the platform, Dr. Graham’s TikTok account has grown rapidly, reaching over 3,000 followers within weeks. His most popular videos include an explainer on milk bags, which has garnered 155.5K views alone, while a breakdown on Graham’s much loved protein pouches reached 98k views. Between February and March alone, his channel saw a surge in engagement, amassing a total of 447K views.
Beyond answering customer and follower questions, Dr. Graham has also shared key moments from his career, including receiving an honorary doctorate from Heriot-Watt University in 2003 for his contributions to agriculture. With approximately 76% of online users aged between 15-24 engaged with the TikTok app in the UK*, the hope for Dr. Graham’s TikTok channel is to educate the younger audience into an industry that isn’t hugely spoken about in today’s education. From working on the farm from age 10, Dr. Graham is a veteran in the farming community, with over 74 years of knowledge within the farming and dairy industries.
Graham’s Family Dairy specialises in a range of dairy products including milk, butter, yoghurt, kefir, cottage cheese and ice cream. With the rise in demand for protein products, Graham’s Family Dairy also produces protein yoghurt, protein drinks and its latest launch, protein ice cream.
To ask Dr. Graham any farming or dairy related questions, fans can do so by following his TikTok account, @DrGraham_.