BLANCHARDVILLE - It was an unlikely meeting of two worlds Sunday, when a family of farmers in Blanchardville hosted one of the wealthiest men in the world for dinner.
The Gant family, who have owned Gant Farms for five generations, welcomed Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to tour their beef and dairy operations Sunday as the billionaire developer travels the country to experience the lives of ordinary Americans.
Blanchardville has a population of about 800 people. The average income of a Blanchardville household is $50,000.
Zuckerberg, meanwhile, is worth $58.5 billion.
"He didn't feel like a billionaire to us," said Ashley Gant, daughter of Gant Farms owner Jed Gant. Jed added that Zuckerberg "puts his pants on one leg at a time like the rest of us."
Ashley Gant said the unlikely meeting between the Gants and Zuckerberg came about through an elaborate series of connections: Ashley Gant's boyfriend's brother's friend works with an associate of Zuckerberg. Zuckerberg became aware of the Gants through posts made to his social media site Facebook.
"It's his mission to connect the dots of America and beyond," Jed Gant said.
Jed Gant said Zuckerberg was very eager to learn about life on the Gant farm. Zuckerberg fed a calf for the first time in his life and drove a 70-year-old tractor that the family had repaired in preparation for his arrival.
"He was like a kid in a candy shop," said Rona Gant, Jed's wife.
Zuckerberg's wife, Priscilla Chan, didn't make the trip since she is pregnant, Rona Gant said.
Jed Gant said that Zuckerberg's farm work was "as good as could be expected" but added that he would hire him based on his desire to learn.
Zuckerberg's visit garnered a substantial amount of online attention, said Rona Gant, not all of which was positive. She said she "had to put the phone away" in the face of online harassment from Facebook users.
"The way I see it, there's always going to be people who'll take a tool and use it to do bad things," Rona Gant said.
Jed Gant dismissed speculation that Zuckerberg's tour of the nation is a precursor to a rumored presidential bid in 2020.
"He's a very genuine person," Jed Gant said. "As genuine a person as you or I."
Although Zuckerberg has enough money to buy the Gant farm a dozen times over, Rona Gant said she did not want his visit to change the farm at all. In fact, the extraordinary visit came in the middle of the spring planting season and a mere two weeks before the wedding of Ashley Gant's twin brother, Austin, so life on the farm continues apace as if nothing had happened.
Zuckerberg, however, did sign the wedding registry ("I'll treasure it forever," Austin Gant said of the autograph) and took home a selection of cheeses and beef from the Gants.
"I don't know if we'll ever see him again," Rona Gant said. "But he's welcome anytime."
The Gant family, who have owned Gant Farms for five generations, welcomed Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to tour their beef and dairy operations Sunday as the billionaire developer travels the country to experience the lives of ordinary Americans.
Blanchardville has a population of about 800 people. The average income of a Blanchardville household is $50,000.
Zuckerberg, meanwhile, is worth $58.5 billion.
"He didn't feel like a billionaire to us," said Ashley Gant, daughter of Gant Farms owner Jed Gant. Jed added that Zuckerberg "puts his pants on one leg at a time like the rest of us."
Ashley Gant said the unlikely meeting between the Gants and Zuckerberg came about through an elaborate series of connections: Ashley Gant's boyfriend's brother's friend works with an associate of Zuckerberg. Zuckerberg became aware of the Gants through posts made to his social media site Facebook.
"It's his mission to connect the dots of America and beyond," Jed Gant said.
Jed Gant said Zuckerberg was very eager to learn about life on the Gant farm. Zuckerberg fed a calf for the first time in his life and drove a 70-year-old tractor that the family had repaired in preparation for his arrival.
"He was like a kid in a candy shop," said Rona Gant, Jed's wife.
Zuckerberg's wife, Priscilla Chan, didn't make the trip since she is pregnant, Rona Gant said.
Jed Gant said that Zuckerberg's farm work was "as good as could be expected" but added that he would hire him based on his desire to learn.
Zuckerberg's visit garnered a substantial amount of online attention, said Rona Gant, not all of which was positive. She said she "had to put the phone away" in the face of online harassment from Facebook users.
"The way I see it, there's always going to be people who'll take a tool and use it to do bad things," Rona Gant said.
Jed Gant dismissed speculation that Zuckerberg's tour of the nation is a precursor to a rumored presidential bid in 2020.
"He's a very genuine person," Jed Gant said. "As genuine a person as you or I."
Although Zuckerberg has enough money to buy the Gant farm a dozen times over, Rona Gant said she did not want his visit to change the farm at all. In fact, the extraordinary visit came in the middle of the spring planting season and a mere two weeks before the wedding of Ashley Gant's twin brother, Austin, so life on the farm continues apace as if nothing had happened.
Zuckerberg, however, did sign the wedding registry ("I'll treasure it forever," Austin Gant said of the autograph) and took home a selection of cheeses and beef from the Gants.
"I don't know if we'll ever see him again," Rona Gant said. "But he's welcome anytime."