Hunter Grayson, Ryan Black, Landon Heaton and Allen Foster. Photo courtesy: Michael Becker / FOX Media.
The reality dating show Farmer Wants a Wife follows four farmers on their search for love.
One of the farmers is Ryan Black, a North Carolina native with a ranch in Gastonia.
How it works: Each farmer will date eight city women over the course of six weeks.
- The women are invited to each of their farms ala Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie on The Simple Life.
- There, they get a real-life look at what life will look like with their potential partner.
Why it matters: Love must be in the air in the Charlotte area as it has become a popular destination for major reality dating shows like The Ultimatum, Love is Blind and now Farmer Wants a Wife.
Details: “Farmer Wants a Wife” will premier on Fox on March 8 at 8pm and will be available for streaming on Hulu the following day.
- It’s hosted by country singer Jennifer Nettles.
- It’s a spinoff of a popular UK show that debuted in 2001 and has since had several spin-offs across the world, including Belgium and Norway.
Get to know Ryan Black:
Ryan Black. Photo courtesy: Michael Becker / FOX Media.
Background: The 32-year-old Shelby native studied at UNC Charlotte before returning to the countryside to train and breed horses on his 44-acre ranch.
- Black was born from a legacy of farmers and is a third-generation cowboy, as most his family owns farms across the state.
- “Being a cowboy has always been the name of the game,” Black said.
The match: He’s looking for a wife and a lifelong bond.
- He says he doesn’t have trouble meeting people in Charlotte, but most of his matches have been surface-level.
- “There’s a certain attraction to cowboys. The complicated part is finding the connection instead of infatuation,” Black said.
Ideal first date: The Eagle in South End is his go-to spot, for their maple bacon.
- Once it gets a little more serious, he likes to take his dates to Port City Club on Lake Norman.
- And, Black says that men should always pay on a first date because they’re the ones doing the asking most of the time. However, “if your lady wants to pay then you should let her,” he said.
Chivalry matters: Black says that chivalry isn’t dead and it comes naturally to him because he was raised around it.
- “One of the most chivalrous things a man can do, it may sound deeper and it’s really not, is listening. Just listening and paying attention goes a long way,” Black said.
- He believes chivalry would blossom if men practiced it more often and women expected it.
Mother knows best: The lucky woman will have to be vetted by his family — most importantly, his mom.
- Black says he wants his future wife to be strong, like his mom, who raised four boys.
- “The first woman I ever loved was my mom so a future wife must have similar characteristics,” Black said.
