ROCK HALL, Md., April 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/
-- Fourth-generation Maryland
farmer Trey Hill measures the
success of his operation not just by how many bushels of corn,
soybeans and wheat it produces, but by how effectively it helps the
waters of the Chesapeake Bay that surround its fields. Hill, who
farms some of the same hardworking soil whose harvests fed
Americans before the Revolutionary War, judges its value not just
in yield, but by the earth worms that flourish in it year round and
the organic matter that helps improve water filtration and reduce
erosion. These are two of many reasons Hill's operation, Harborview
Farms, is launching today as the latest Bayer ForwardFarm – the
first in North America – and why
Hill's family operation serves as a prime example of today's
agriculture.
"Everything we do at Harborview Farms has to pass this test,"
said Hill, 42, who runs the operation with his father, Herman Hill, Jr.; mother, Christy; wife, Cheryl;
and a small team of great employees. "I have to be able to explain
it to my young children, simply and with integrity. That includes
the inputs we use, how and why we use them, our treatment of
wildlife and the Bay, and the amount of energy we use doing it all.
If I can't do that, then it's a signal I have to re-think our
practices."
Harborview joins Bayer's global
ForwardFarming network, an elite group of 12 innovative,
independent farms representative of their unique environments
across Europe, Latin America and now, North America. Ranging in production from corn
and sunflowers in France, to
potatoes in Belgium and
the Netherlands, to cereals and
oilseed rape in Germany, to wine
grapes in Italy, and corn and
soybeans in Brazil and
Argentina, these operations have
one important thing in common: a commitment to sustainable,
holistic and scalable practices that are good for them and for
their environments.
"One of the primary goals of ForwardFarming is to foster
dialogue and knowledge exchange on local farms around the world,
which we achieve by welcoming people to the farms to learn about
today's agriculture and some of the remarkable men and women
engaged in it," said Jim Blome,
President and CEO of Crop Science North America, a Division of
Bayer. "Facing the challenge of feeding more people with ever-more
precious natural resources, it's imperative that we encourage
understanding about the advanced technology and sustainable farming
practices that will be a big part of the solution," Blome said.
Hill and his team will welcome guests today to his operation,
which is two hours from Washington,
D.C., where they will learn about Harborview's innovative management practices,
including precision, GPS-guided technology that manages inputs;
extensive cover cropping that nourishes the soil and protects
nearby waterways; solar panels that power much of the operation;
integrated pest management that protects crops sustainably;
wildlife habitats that protect the wildlife that call the area
home, and much more. Subsequent visits will give additional
stakeholders, media and others the opportunity to see innovative
agriculture close up. Over time, Bayer will add more operations to
the ForwardFarming program in additional regions across
the United States and the world to
expand the knowledge platform further.
"Bayer ForwardFarms are entrepreneurial businesses owned and
operated by independent farmers, not demonstration farms managed by
Bayer," Blome said. "These farms work with us to foster
understanding about today's sustainable agriculture practices, not
to promote any company, because they share Bayer's belief that
modern agriculture goes hand-in-hand with environmental and social
responsibility."
Explore the various elements currently in place on the farm by
visiting Harborview.ForwardFarming.com. Learn more about the global
Bayer ForwardFarming network by visiting ForwardFarming.com. Join
the conversation using #ForwardFarming.
About Bayer
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the Life
Science fields of health care and agriculture. Its products and
services are designed to benefit people and improve their quality
of life. At the same time, the Group aims to create value through
innovation, growth and high earning power. Bayer is committed to
the principles of sustainable development and to its social and
ethical responsibilities as a corporate citizen. In fiscal 2017,
the Group employed around 99,800 people and had sales of
EUR 35.0 billion. Capital
expenditures amounted to EUR 2.4
billion, R&D expenses to EUR 4.5
billion. For more information, go to www.bayer.us.
Contact:
Bayer Media Hotline, 1-862-404-5118, or
Susan Luke
Crop Science, a division of Bayer
Tel: (314) 919-6769
Email: Susan.Luke.ext@bayer.com
Forward-Looking Statements
This release may contain forward-looking statements based on
current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group or subgroup
management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and
other factors could lead to material differences between the actual
future results, financial situation, development or performance of
the company and the estimates given here. These factors include
those discussed in Bayer's public reports which are available on
the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no
liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or
to conform them to future events or developments.
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SOURCE Bayer