On Fox’s new reality TV dating show, ‘Farmer Wants a Wife,’ four country boys are trying to rustle up some beauties who could potentially become a “Mrs. Farmer.” Will they be able to trac-tor down?
Four eligible bachelors will be on the lookout for love on ‘Farmer Wants a Wife’, which debuted last night and will air every Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on FOX.
But first things first: why wasn’t it called ‘Yee Haw-rmony?’ IT’S RIGHT THERE. C’mon, FOX, get it together.
It’s probably because the ‘Farmer Wants a Wife’, despite its uncreative and goofy name, has been a huge hit — Jennifer Nettles’s unscripted dating program has been shown in 32 countries, leading to 180 marriages and more than 400 kids. Those are some bountiful harvests!
Contestants on Farmer Wants a Wife are looking for a permanent partnership, as opposed to the short-lived romances typical of reality dating programs.
Each of the four farmers, Ryan Black, Allen Foster, Hunter Grayson, and Landon Heaton, has a group of single ladies who are eager to leave the city for the joys—and hardships—of rural life, and they are bringing big hopes and dreams of meeting the “one” with them.
All the work the women do on the farm, from caring for the cattle to running the farm’s economic operations, forces them to question how far they are ready to go for love.
So, how will this all work? Each farmer will spend six weeks courting eight different city ladies (32 total), and FOX took its cure from Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton’s ‘The Simple Life;’ the women are welcomed to the respective farms.
“In this upcoming series, city meets farm in the search for true romance,” the FOX synopsis says. “Four farmers from across the country embark on an adventure of a lifetime in the hopes of finding their future spouse. Women will leave behind the dating apps and pursuit of love in ‘the big city’ in favor of classic American courtship. The farmers will take their group of daters to their farm and show them what it is really like to live as ranchers do — from tending to the homestead to feeding cattle and baling hay. For the daters, the realities of this lifestyle may beg the question: how much of your life are you willing to change for love?”
Farmer Wants a Wife – Episode 1 Recap
In the first episode of ‘Farmer Wants a Wife’, the women are brought together in a barn (I think it’s a barn?), drink wine, and chat about where they are from and which farmer they came to marry. Or not marry. We don’t know who has chemistry yet!
Then the host, Jennifer Nettles, greets the ladies and brings in the prize studs one by one— introducing them all as Farmer Hunter, Farmer Ryan, (you get the idea) while the 32 women riotously clap and hoot and holler.
They strut their stuff in front of their potential fiancés, and there is more hootin’, and then each farmer gets to go on a first date, not with one, but with EIGHT ladies.
Then they are faced with the tough choice of whittling those eight down to five, who will then accompany the farmers back to their respective farms. Three’s a crowd, and seven is a—I don’t know what that is.
The dates are pretty speedy, with each potential couple sharing a little about themselves interspersed with slo-mo montages of each farmer in his element.
- Farmer Hunter is my fave so far— he’s got a charming aw-shucks quality.
- As for Farmer Allen, he’s struggling and has to get a pep talk with a producer about chatting up these city girls.
- Farmer Ryan is in second place,
- And bringing up the rear is Farmer Landon. I can’t explain why so don’t ask.
The speed dating continues with some quick heat to hearts and a lot of awkward hugs. There is no kissing like on other reality tv dating shows. These are wholesome farmers!!
And then it’s on to the elimination round, where one woman turns down Farmer Allen (oof) as she ain’t up to the farm life and is def not into Allen. But don’t worry about Allen; the next five women are heading back to his homestead.
Onto the rest of the farmers: they all get a giggly “yesses” from their five city picks.
The women who aren’t chosen look dejected, and the farmers all say it’s “the hardest decision they’ve ever had to make in their lives” (I doubt that, but hey, gotta make it dramatic).
We see the lucky head starters arrive at the farms, some looking shell-shocked at all the deer heads on the walls, others taking it more in stride. One even shoveled sh*t with a smile!
Meet the ‘Farmer Wants a Wife’ Contestants
Hunter Grayson
- Age: 31
- Location: Watkinsville, GA
- Job: Cattle and Horse Rancher
- Favorite TV Shows: The Good Doctor and 1923
If Hunter isn’t out on the water flyfishing or strumming his guitar, he’s probably out in the pasture taking care of his cattle while listening to The Teskey Brothers. The multitalented Georgian knows his way around the kitchen, and the quickest route to his heart is to “just be yourself. There’s nothing more attractive than someone who is genuine in knowing who they are.”
Ryan Black
- Age: 32
- Location: Gastonia, NC
- Job: Horse Trainer and Breeder
- Favorite Artists: Willie Jones and Jacob Banks
If you want to binge ‘Yellowstone’ with a handsome rancher, then steer your heart toward Ryan, who loves the Dutton family drama as much as the rest of the country. He has been honing his culinary techniques, wine-tasting abilities, and training horses and wants a woman who can “win [his] heart with emotion.”
Landon Heaton
- Age: 35
- Location: Stillwater, OK
- Job: Cattle Rancher and Farmer
- What his weekend looks like: Summer by the lake, hunting in the fall, and gardening in the spring
Landon says dating him is like “starting a book you’re not sure you’ll like, but then you can’t put it down.” With a mechanical engineering degree, he enjoys cooking using ingredients that might be slightly more pricey than he’d like to confess. If “you’re allergic to dogs or a vegetarian,” it probably won’t work out, but if you can get him to “laugh without trying and encourages [him] to be a better version of [himself],” well, you may end up being Mrs. Landon Heaton.
Allen Foster
- Age: 32
- Location: Santa Fe, TN
- Job: Cattle Rancher
- Interesting Fact: In college, he was on the rodeo team
G’day, mate! Are you all set to go to Australia? Because if you end up marrying Allen, that’s where you’re going on your honeymoon–it’s his dream destination. This Tennessee native might be in your wheelhouse if you want to head down under and spend laid-back weekends on the farm just hanging out with family or friends. You can usually find him enjoying the great outdoors when he’s not at the rodeo.
Final Thoughts on ‘Farmer Wants a Wife’
And that’s a wrap on episode one of ‘Farmer Wants a Wife.’ While it wasn’t bad, it was a bit slower-paced than other reality shows, which is probably the point—country living is a different breed.
stop thinking and take action!
