(November 26, 2013) AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Just in time for the holiday gift-giving season, the Ram Truck brand is launching a new photography book with National Geographic titled, “The Farmer in All of Us: An American Portrait.”  The book is available for purchase now for $45 and will be in retail stores beginning late spring 2014.
 
The 300-page coffee table book is a beautiful and comprehensive collection of original agriculture and farming photography, including many of the images commissioned by the Ram Truck brand for its “Farmer” Super Bowl commercial inspired by Paul Harvey’s “So God Made a Farmer” essay.

Every book purchase backs a minimum contribution of $25,000 by the Ram Truck brand to the National FFA Organization’s “Give the Gift of Blue” program, which donates traditional FFA blue corduroy jackets to members who would not otherwise be able to own one.
 
“Supporting farmers isn’t just about those who till the soil, it’s about reminding America who we are and where our greatness comes from,” said Olivier Francois, chief marketing officer, Chrysler Group. “This book truly brings the 'Farmer' story to life, and continues to give back in support of the amazing students of the FFA who embody this spirit every day.”
 


To create the book, ten world-class photographers were tasked with traveling throughout America’s heartland over the course of three weeks to capture the essence of the farmer. Paul Harvey’s “So God Made a Farmer” speech served as their inspiration. The photographers’ original goal was to create the visual backdrop for a television commercial celebrating the “Year of the Farmer.” The two-minute tribute aired during Super Bowl XLVII, stopping the nation in its tracks.
 
The "Farmer in All of Us" book builds on the imagery from the video and creates a compelling photographic poem, including a foreword by Paul Harvey, Jr., and personal anecdotes from the 10 photographers. The book includes more than 240 photos conveying the same spirit as the Ram Truck brand, which celebrates the values of dignity, fellowship and sacrifice through hard work. Just as the “Farmer” television video did, the book aims to inspire the next generation of America’s farmers.
 
“It is so exciting to see a collection of these stunning images together in one book. ‘The Farmer in All of Us’ truly represents the soul of the American farmer,” said Clay Sapp, president of the National FFA Organization. “We are grateful to Ram for supporting the ‘Give the Gift of Blue’ program and helping ensure each member of the FFA has the ability to own their own blue corduroy jacket.”
 
The Ram Truck brand declared 2013 the “Year of the Farmer” in February when its much-talked-about “Farmer” television spot aired during the Super Bowl. The yearlong initiative was designed to bring national attention to the significance of the American farmer and Ram pledged to donate up to $1 million dollars to FFA for views of the television video on the brand’s website.

The brand reached the 10-million-view milestone, equating to the $1 million donation, in less than a week and presented the check to the FFA Oct. 30 at their annual convention. The spot has been viewed more than 22 million times to date.