John Peters (you know, the farmer?) is one of Night Vale's most well-known agriculturalists and a frequent call-in contributor to Night Vale Community Radio. He owns a peach orchard which has never yielded any peaches. His specialty crop is imaginary corn (and Oranges as seen in episode Orange Grove for a time), for which he receives an annual subsidy of $500,000. He seems to have some connection to The House That Doesn't Exist. The connection is currently not known.
He claims to have a narrator of his life and believes that if people stop believing in him, he will cease to exist.[1]
John's title[]
The suffix "You know, the farmer" seems to be required when speaking of him, and nobody is really sure why. There is no evidence to why the suffix is in place, but a few times in "Orange Grove", Cecil just calls him John Peters. Steve Carlsberg also uses the suffix, but Cecil replies, "Yes, I know" in a serious and slightly overdramatic tone as a wink to the audience as to allude to the comedic aspect of his acquired "title".
When Cecil refers to John Peters without the suffix, he is actually referring to John Peters (you know, the impostor?), although he doesn't know it. This seems to suggest that it is physically compulsory to use the suffix for the true John Peters (you know, the farmer), as Cecil was not mentally aware of the impostor.
The second Welcome to Night Vale book, "It Devours!", suggests that, without the adjective, the people of Night Vale would forget him and/or his occupation, or at least that is the assumption of John Peter's (you know, the farmer?). You see this when John Peters (you know, the farmer?) reminds Nilanjana of his occupation, even though she reminds him they've met "many times". Carlos says "I wonder if he reminds us he's a farmer because even he has trouble remembering".
Mentions[]
- Episode 2 "Glow Cloud": John Peters (you know, the farmer?) was the first resident of Night Vale to spot the approaching Glow Cloud.
- Episode 11 "Wheat & Wheat By-Products": Cecil mentions that John Peters (you know, the farmer?) is particularly upset about the City Council's plans to build a pulsar development facility and, more importantly, to increase taxes in order to pay for said pulsar development facility.
- Episode 15 "Street Cleaning Day": John Peters (you know, the farmer?) calls in to report his discovery of an unspeakably old oak door standing out in the Scrublands. After describing and investigating the door, John Peters (you know, the farmer?) vows to keep a sleepless vigil outside the door. He also reports that he is expecting a bumper crop of imaginary corn, which will soon be available for sale at the Night Vale Green Market Co-op.
- Episode 30 "Dana": Intern Dana reports from beyond the Old Oak Door that John Peters (you know, the farmer?) has been standing inside the empty house staring at a picture of a window with a look of sadness—no, of concern on his face.
- Episode 31 "A Blinking Light up on the Mountain": Cecil reports that John Peters (you know, the farmer?) has not been heard from in some time and requests that anyone who has seen him recently should call the Night Vale Community Radio Station.
- Episode 32 "Yellow Helicopters": Larry Leroy recounts a recent conversation with John Peters (you know, the imposter?).
- Episode 35 "Lazy Day": Flakey O's announces a partnership with John Peters (you know, the imposter?).
- Episode 38 "Orange Grove", John Peters (you know, the imposter?) is revealed to have been a fake since "Yellow Helicopters", debuting his new orange grove, the crop becoming quickly the sole produce available at the Ralphs, and causing the people who consume them to phase in and out of reality, ultimately out. John Peters (you know, the imposter?) eventually tries breaking into the studio and forcing Cecil to eat an orange, though Cecil then knocks out John Peters (you know, the imposter?) with his phone, leading to an encounter between the Sheriff's Secret Police and StrexCorp, with StrexCorp apparently taking John Peters (you know, the imposter?). At the same time, Carlos and his team saw apparently the real John Peters (you know, the farmer?) through a window, inside the house that doesn't exist, staring at a portrait the team couldn't get a glimpse of.
- "The Debate": John Peters (you know, the imposter?) calls the radio station during the Debate to ask what the candidates are going to do about the Glow Cloud dropping dead animals all over town. He doesn't exactly get a reply, as the Glow Cloud proceeds to possess everyone.
- Episode 44 "Cookies": Dana tells Cecil that she's been visiting with John Peters (you know, the farmer?).
- Episode 49 "Old Oak Doors Part A", during the uprising against StrexCorp, the real John Peters (you know, the farmer?) returns to Night Vale. He says Dana, Carlos, and Maureen helped him get back. He warns Cecil about the Smiling God.
- Episode 64 "WE MUST GIVE PRAISE": John Peters (you know, the farmer?) calls Cecil to report that Frank Chen has apparently returned to town.
- Episode 74 "Civic Changes": John Peters (you know, the farmer?) calls Cecil to give an update on the protesters outside the dog park, describing them as standing upright, growing out of the ground, with green leaves and brown tufts of hair, and birds flying in the sky above them. Cecil, rather annoyed, realizes John Peters (you know, the farmer?) is actually standing in a cornfield.
- Episode 86 "Standing and Breathing": John Peters (you know, the farmer?) has just received a birthday card from his older brother Jim, who left home forty years previously to fight in the Blood Space War.
- Episode 103 "Ash Beach": After meeting with mysterious beings at the beach, John Peters (you know, the farmer?) is given a false memory of talking to his brother Jim and tossing a football with him.
- Episode 145 "The Veterans": John is reunited with his brother Jim, who hasn't aged aged all.
- Episode 147 "The Protester": John is reunited with Jim once more, but this time Jim in the correct age.
- Episode 149 "The General": John informs Night Vale citizens that his brother Jim would be returning to the Blood Space War.
- Episode 151 "The Waterfall": A group of local teenagers buys an old pickup truck from John.
- Episode 159 "Cat Show": John chooses a book for the Tamika Flynn Book Club, the book is the 2018 Husqvarna YTH24K 48-inch Riding Mower Owners Manual.
- Episode 160 "The Weather": John's oranges grow unnaturally big, he mentions his concerns about his invisible corn crop and his plans to diversify by raising cattle for slaughter.
- Episode 182 "It Sticks With You": A voice tells John to build a baseball diamond. He believes it to be the narrator of his life, but it turns out to be a tax collector.
- Episode 190 "Listeners": When John Peters (you know, the farmer?) was 17 years old, he was an elite baseball player. Major League scouts loved his strength, his speed, and his mechanics, but before he graduated high school, John inherited his family farm. And he gave up his hopes of playing professional sports… to grow invisible corn.
See also[]
References[]
- ↑ Episode 182 "It Sticks With You"