Driven by Standards, Powered by People

“This has definitely been a unique harvest year,” laughed Bayer Crop Science site lead, Ryan Barletta, as he began the overview and safety briefing for the Ambassadors’ visit. This September has marked the wettest year since 1914, breaking a 112 year stretch of rainfall in terms of volume. Despite the historical weather, Bayer has made progress – processing upward of 150 trucks per day last week in an effort to catch up – and is hopeful to wrap up their harvest operations soon.

Having worked at various Bayer sites around the nation, Barletta notes that Grinnell's site stands out as one of the most vibrant locations. “It’s filled with passion and pride for the Grinnell community. The community engagement and enthusiasm within our employees is spread across the entire plant – you can feel their pride and love for the community and their willingness to be engaged and involved. We can also see that with the longevity of our staff,” he shared. That loyalty was recently highlighted as the plant celebrated two long time employees' retirements who have contributed to the success of the plant with over 30 years of experience each.

After an initial visit was rained out, Ambassadors were able to experience the harvest operation on full display, a truly remarkable demonstration of innovation and automation paired with long-standing practices and dedicated team members. “It's one big team effort,” shared Ryan Shiver, unit lead at Bayer Crop Science. “Ultimately if the dryers get behind then the trucking operation has to slow and vice versa, through every step of the process.” The team works hard to keep things running at optimal levels, even when weather continues to be a challenge.

“We hold ourselves to high standards in safety, quality, and production. But the people are the most important part in our success. It's the passion, pride, and daily commitment of our team that bring this plant to life,” said Shiver. This shared dedication has built the culture of Bayer locally, and that shared purpose turns the workplace into a community.

At its core, agriculture is the ultimate foundation of society. Across Bayer’s three global pillars: Crop Science, Consumer Health, and Pharmaceuticals, the work done at the Grinnell location plays an essential role in nourishing communities.

Every crop harvested and processed at the site is engineered for strength, yield, and resilience. In turn it becomes the essential baseline for products used by our communities from the corn-based ethanol in the gas we pump into our cars to the natural cotton fibers in the clothing we wear. It directly impacts the global food supply that supports livestock production, supplies the food items on our grocery store shelves, and is vital for everyday consumer health products. Every seed processed in Bayer is more than just an agricultural product, it's a direct investment in the health, comfort, and well being of families in our local community and around the world.

Chamber Ambassadors:

Ryan Barletta – Bayer Crop Science

Nikki Armstead – Grinnell Chamber

Marcus Brandenburg – Anthem Heating & Cooling

Abby Cheney – Grinnell Chamber

Nicolle Donnelly – Poweshiek Insurance Agency

Fran Conn

Monica St. Angelo – Grinnell Area Arts Council

Jennifer McAlexander – JM Consulting and Hawkeye Lock & Security

Monique Shore – PFLAG Grinnell/Poweshiek

Dan McCue – McCue & Associates – American Family Insurance

Donnette Ellis – Grinnell College