They came from Kansas City with a crew; they came from Chicago with a crane; and they came from Des Moines with a helicopter and a film crew to shoot a Pioneer Seed TV commercial on Doug Repp's Minburn farm.

 

 

"Of course, I use Pioneer Seed on my farm," Repp said. "So, I don't mind letting them film their commercial here."

 

In fact, Pioneer Seed has used Repp's farmstead for other film shoots in the past. But this time, the commercial will be broadcast on network television across the country. The commercial will start with a shot of the earth from outer space. Using aerial shots from a helicopter and a 140-foot crane, the camera will zoom down from the sky and onto Repp's farm, where two actors will depict the relationship between Pioneer Seed sales people and their customers.

 

"We try to find a location without having to create a setting," Pioneer Hi-bred International marketing and communications director Warren Riedesel explained. "We want a place that's neat and tidy that would make a great backdrop for the TV commercial."

 

And what better setting than Repp's I Avenue farmstead located west of Minburn. Repp is a third-generation farmer and has farmed his entire life. He and his traditional-style farm were first acknowledged in 1997 when he won second place in Successful Farming Magazine's "Top Shop Contest," after he'd constructed a pull-barn on the property.

 

The scene shot outside the barn Thursday, June 19, was actually the second of two filmed at the farm. Crews arrived Wednesday to shoot a scene from one of Repp's young corn fields. The rest was shot months ago. By August, Screenscape Studios in Des Moines will have the clips edited and ready to air by this fall.

 

"It's a beautiful farm and farmstead," Riedesel said. "It makes a very good setting for an ag TV commercial."