One of the most-watched farmers on YouTube has passed away. Andy Detwiler, an armless man who entertained 132,000 subscribers on his Harmless Farmer channel, died on September 21. He was 51 years old.
Detwiler’s wife Corkey and daughter Kylie announced his death in a video uploaded to his YouTube channel. The two Detwilers explained that Andy — who was being treated for esophageal cancer — came down with a serious case of pneumonia. He was treated at the hospital in his hometown, Urbana, Ohio, but he suffered an aneurysm and died a short time later.
As a tribute to Andy, Corkey and Kylie shared his final video. “We cannot even begin to thank you all enough. You all meant the world to dad and made such an impact on his life,” reads the video’s description. “Never forgotten. The Man The Myth The Legend.”
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Detwiler lost both his arms in an accident on his grandfather’s farm when he was two years old. Despite that tragedy, he was able to survive and become a farmer himself. In his videos, he stunned viewers by completing complex tasks with his feet. “Growing up, there wasn’t anybody that could teach me anything because nobody knew anybody that was like me,” Detwiler said in a video. “I pretty much taught myself everything.”
Though Detwiler’s flexible feet led Harmless Farmer to more than 29 million lifetime views, many of his videos focused on the bucolic scenery of rural life. Farming is not a common topic on YouTube, but Detwiler was able to break through. According to The New York Times, Harmless Farmer ranked among the web’s most-watched agrarian channels.
In addition to Cokey and Kylie, Detwiler is also survived by his parents, his brother, and his sister. If you feel like paying tribute to him, his tales of corn and soybean harvests are worth your time. And feel free to check out some other farming channels as well — it’s a category that could use more love.
