Vegetables by Bayer’s Seminis Seed Brand Signs Sponsorship With NASCAR Driver and Melon Man Ross Chastain

St. Louis, MO, June 7, 2022 – Vegetables by Bayer, the Bayer business unit that focuses on providing farmers with high performance fruit and vegetable seeds and tailored solutions, and its Seminis seed brand is proud to announce that it has signed an agreement to sponsor watermelon grower and NASCAR driver Ross Chastain. The sponsorship was officially kicked off this past weekend at the June 5 NASCAR Cup Series race at World Wide Technology Raceway in St. Louis.

The partnership between Seminis and Chastain is an ideal match. Chastain, an eighth generation watermelon grower, who’s also known as The Melon Man on the circuit, knows about hard work, intense pressure, and the importance of high performance – both on the track and in the field. That’s something both Seminis and Bayer appreciate and strive for in their work to support the farmers who are feeding our growing world.

“Ross is an excellent driver, who uses his experience growing up, and working in, those watermelon fields to keep pushing to provide his best,” says Miriam Paris, Americas’ Marketing Excellence Lead, Vegetables by Bayer. “We’re proud of what he’s achieved on the track, but even more proud of the work he does on behalf of agriculture. Fruits and vegetables are an essential cornerstone for everyone’s health, but it takes a lot of hard work to ensure that they look good, taste great and that everyone has access to them. Ross is passionate about educating consumers about where their food comes from and in sharing the stories about the families who grow it.”

The sponsorship support has special meaning for Chastain, too, as his family farm grows watermelons from its Seminis brand seeds. That’s why his trackside watermelon, which he smashes and eats after a win is a Seminis variety.

“Farming is hard work and a 24/7 job where we have to navigate a lot of variables. The innovative, quality seeds from Seminis and other tools they provide help farms like ours so we can continue to grow great-tasting fruits and vegetables,” says Chastain. “Bayer and Seminis drive for high performance, too, so I appreciate their support on the track and in our fields as well.”

With more than 20 different crops and thousands of innovative vegetable seed varieties, the seed brands under Vegetables by Bayer, Seminis^® and De Ruiter^®, have long provided cutting-edge solutions for customers in diverse open-field and protected environments. To ensure everyone has access to produces, Vegetables by Bayer focuses on developing innovative new seeds and tailored solutions that help farmers grow smarter – using resources more efficiently, reducing the impact agriculture has on the environment, and helping their operation thrive. They do that by following four core values: partnership, innovation, performance, and sustainability.

About Bayer

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. Its products and services are designed to help people and planet thrive by supporting efforts to master the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. Bayer is committed to drive sustainable development and generate a positive impact with its businesses. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. The Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2021, the Group employed around 100,000 people and had sales of 44.1 billion euros. R&D expenses before special items amounted to 5.3 billion euros. For more information, go to www.bayer.com.

For more information, contact: Sue Dillon, sdillon@wearewoodruff.com, 816.255.1032