First-Generation Farmers, Building from Scratch | Grant & Spencer Hilbert of Hilbert Farms

Brothers Grant and Spencer Hilbert share how they built Hilbert Farms from scratch, combining grit, YouTube success, and first-generation determination. Grant and Spencer Hilbert are the founders of Hilbert Farms, a first-generation family farm in Central Iowa. But unlike most farming stories, theirs didn’t start on a tractor; it started in the suburbs. Growing up far from their grandparents’ farm, the brothers found their own way into agriculture, using digital tools, hard work, and a shared vision to build something from the ground up. Their entrepreneurial journey began young, mowing lawns and flipping products online before launching YouTube channels that captured their passion for farming. Grant’s early gaming content evolved into an audience of over a million subscribers, eventually funding real equipment, real land, and real crops. [00:15:00] “If there’s ever been a fight in the past 10 or 15 years, it hasn’t lasted more than an hour… that makes it easy when you’re in business together.” Today, the brothers split responsibilities—Grant leads R&D and the American Farming app, while Spencer manages content creation and the farm’s growing YouTube presence. Both credit their parents for instilling discipline, transparency, and financial responsibility from an early age. [00:27:00] “There would’ve been no way to start without outside income. We saved, invested, and built our way into farming.” From their first paycheck to their first harvest, Grant and Spencer prove that legacy isn’t something you inherit—it’s something you build. Their story shows what’s possible when family, innovation, and hard work come together, one field—and one idea—at a time. Links Grant Hilbert | YouTube Spencer Hilbert | YouTube Hilbert Farms’ Instagram American Farming Game Prairie Family Business Association’s (PFBA) Website PFBA’s Instagram