Montana News

Montana ranchers featured in Super Bowl commercial

Posted: Feb 5, 2013 10:10 AM by Claire Anderson - MTN News
Updated: Feb 5, 2013 10:27 AM

GERALDINE - This year, several Montana ranches, farms and families were featured in a Dodge Ram commercial called "So God made a farmer."

The ad features a voice-over of radio legend Paul Harvey delivering a stirring portrait of farm and ranch life; he initially delivered the speech during a 1978 Future Farmers of America convention.

The ad aired during the 2013 Super Bowl and garnered widespread praise for its simple, powerful approach.

One of those families lives in Chouteau County just outside of Geraldine and talked about getting to show off the Montana way of life on one of the biggest stages in the world.

Mary and Frank Roberts are still a bit amazed at the reception the commercial has received.

Mary said that as she was watching, "I knew it was a going to be a Chrysler ad and it didn't say Chrysler at first, but I seen a cow and I thought this must be the start of it...and then when it went on with my image and I thought, 'This is pretty special, it'll never happen again in my lifetime.'"

Frank added, "I still don't believe it, I guess."

During the first week of January, documentary photographer Kurt Markus visited their ranch near Geraldine to take some photos while they were working with their cattle.

Mary recalled, "I told him there is nothing romantic about what we are doing today, it's just our normal work, and he said, 'That's fine, do what you do and I will capture it.'"

Frank said, "We're very proud of what we do. It's not that you're in it for the money, it's a job and what you've done all your life, and it feels like you're accomplishing something, and that we're feeding the world basically with agriculture."

The couple has been ranching together for more than 40 years and say this is simply their way of life.

Another Montana family was featured in the commercial: the Gufstafson family from the Two Medicine area near Browning, and they can be seen saying grace at the dinner table.

Click here to watch the Super Bowl commercial on YouTube.