Lucan farm family's creative efforts generate public interest

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

photo: Left to right - Paul DIetrich, Dianne Dietrich, Frank Dietrich, and Steve Unverferth.

by SUSAN MANN

The Dietrich family of Lucan never expected to win a video contest showcasing their use of a recently purchased grain cart.

But the only Canadian entry to be named one of the top five finalists won the contest by a landslide. The Dietrichs were the only Ontario farmers but not the only ones from Canada to enter the contest, sponsored by United States-based farm equipment manufacturer Unverferth Manufacturing Co. Inc.

Frank Dietrich says their video captured more than half of the 11,000 votes cast by the public who could vote on the winning entries on the Brent Grain Cart product website. Set to a song called, Farm Boy written by a local Lucan-area band, River Junction Band, the Dietrichs’ video features all four family members, Frank, Dianne, and their two sons, Scott and Paul, explaining why they bought the Brent Grain Cart and the family’s use of the cart from when it first arrived in January 2011 on their cash crop farm, through wheat and corn harvest to cleanup and storage.

Frank says they were surprised they won because “we’re from Canada and it’s an American contest.”

Dan Fanger, vice president of sales and marketing for Unverferth, says in a press release the Dietrich video like all the entries “clearly showed their pride in their family farm and the Brent Grain Cart.”

Frank says their sons did most of the filming for their video, which also featured still photographs.

As the grand prize winners, the Dietrichs won a 60-inch flat screen LCD television valued at $2,500.

The “Why Do You Choose Brent?” video contest was open last year to all North Americans who bought the cart. The idea was for farmers to capture and share video footage of Brent Grain Carts in use and depict how they make harvest go smoother.

The Dietrichs and four other finalists’ videos can be viewed on the Unverferth website at: www.unverferth.com. BF