In the summer of 2017, the Innovation Center, the precision ag division of Agtegra Cooperative, set out to tell a unique story through video and MCG was excited to help. Agricultural stories are one of our specialties and the Innovation Center has a great story to tell.

MCG’s creative team worked with the Innovation Center’s marketing team and their growers and precision ag specialists to conceptualize, script, shoot, and produce a series of authentic and compelling stories. We partnered with Labyrinth Films, based in Aberdeen, to shoot and edit the series.

The video series tells the stories of five growers who rely on the service and expertise of the Innovation Center to keep their operations running strong. The stories highlight the unique needs of each grower and the Innovation Center’s ability to work with each operation’s precision ag equipment and technologies to help them be more profitable.

The production spanned several weeks and was carefully planned into several shoots during harvest to capture the most productive time of the year as well as a variety of beautiful Midwestern landscape shots. We also captured the stories of the Innovation Center experts themselves.

Planning the grower interviews was no small task, as their farms are spread across the more than 60 communities the Innovation Center serves in the Dakotas. Added to the challenge was that our growers agreed to be interviewed during their busiest time of the year.

Being on camera can be a difficult task for many people. Having worked in Ag communications for more than 14 years gave us the experience to help put our growers at ease, as we certainly understand some of the unique challenges farmers face.

We’ve also found that most folks are comfortable speaking on camera once they start taking about what they know best. In the case of our growers, talking about family and their farms came easily to them.

Alex Boekelheide shared, “I love making my dad proud and doing the best I can. Hopefully one day when he’s ready to retire, he’ll have all the confidence in the world in me knowing that the operation he’s built from the ground up is going to continue to be successful.”

Creative Director Kris Martinez explains, “Farming is different than other professions. For most growers, being a farmer isn’t just a job. It’s a way of life that’s been passed down from previous generations. When you’re working alongside your family, you have more invested in your day-to-day operations.”

The growers spoke about the strong relationships they have with the team members at the Innovation Center – relationships that are built on trust. The growers think of the Innovation Center’s precision ag specialists as trusted partners who make recommendations based on the specific needs of each growers’ operation – and are willing to go to any length to keep them running strong.

Grower Jerrad Hoffman summed up the service provided by the Innovation Center: “It’s not that easy to get someone to come out 60 miles when you’re in a hurry to get your crop in. I can always count on the Innovation Center team to come out and get me up and running again.”

The final result has been a huge success for the Innovation Center and Agtegra. The Innovation Center hosted a special event to screen the videos with their growers, employees, and families. The growers were presented with beautiful images of their farms that were captured by Labyrinth Films’ Red Camera, which shoots in high definition. The growers were delighted to see their farms showcased in such a memorable way.

“Hearing growers tell their stories about their unique challenges and how the Innovation Center helped them reach new levels of success really made for compelling storytelling,” explains Martinez. “The passion they have for farming really comes through in the videos.”

The cooperative has been proud to share the videos with everyone who made it possible, including their employees and growers. We’re thankful to have been a part in telling their amazing story.