Funny Farmer Turns Humor Into Cash

Funny Farmer Turns Humor Into Cash AG WORLD 27-6-24 People laugh when Jay Hendren stands up to speak. But that's okay with him. It's what he wants. The Johnstown, Ohio farmer says having a sense of humor was necessary when growing up in a family of farmers. He's always had a quick wit and has been able to see the humor in even the most dire situations. And sharing that in front of a group never bothered him. Just ask his high school teachers. Hendren started doing stand-up comedy performances at a nearby comedy club in 1996. Evidently, people liked what they heard when Hendren was on stage. He was voted the funniest person in Columbus a couple of years later. He says eventually he even started getting paid to do it. He draws from his own experiences, so most of his act centers on farming. He believes one of the reasons for his success is it's good, clean fun, with an appeal to audiences of all ages. Hendren sees his comedy act as a sideline business to his farming. While he still enjoys doing comedy clubs, he's recently found there's quite a demand for speakers who can relate to farm crowds. "It's good to talk to people who know that a John Deere isn't a letter you get from your dyslexic girlfriend," he quips. "I've been doing customer appreciation days, annual producer meetings, and the like," he says. Whether he's performing in a church basement or in front of groups like the National Pork Producers or the American Soybean Association, his message mixes humor with motivation and inspiration. He tells touching stories, too. "Just the other night, I was standing with my Dad watching the sun set on our farm. He put his arm around my shoulder and said, æJust think, son. One day this will all be à houses.'" Hendren is available for banquets, business meetings, fund raisers, socials, and especially for those functions where he gets paid in advance to speak to an audience that would be too embarrassed to leave once he begins. "There may be a couple other guys out there who do what I do, but I don't look at them as competitors," he says. "In this business, we need all the humor we can get." So if you think you're funny, call Hendren. He wouldn't mind giving advice to other farmers, young or old, who have a penchant for seeing the lighter side of farm life and would like to the opportunity to do what he does. His first bit of advice is to work hard and save as much money as you can, because it might be a long time before somebody likes you enough to pay you. "Seriously, if you'd like to do stand-up comedy, look for open mike or amateur nights at a local comedy club. It'll give you a chance to test your material and you'll find out whether you like doing it. There's not a much lonelier feeling than when you're standing in front of a crowd and you're the only one laughing at your best joke," he warns. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Jay Hendren, 10493 Croton Rd., Johnstown, Ohio 43031 (ph 740 893-1748; email: jayhendren@aol.com; website: www.jayhendren.com).

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.