PITTSTOWN, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 4, 2026--
In 2026, Bayer and America’s Grow-a-Row continued their longstanding partnership to combat food insecurity and expand access to fresh, nutritious produce for communities across the United States.
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Key Facts
Since 2020, Bayer Fund, the philanthropic arm of Bayer in the United States, has provided more than $500,000 in grants to America’s Grow-a-Row, supporting the nonprofit’s mission to grow, harvest and distribute fresh produce. Alongside financial support, Bayer employees have taken part in volunteer initiatives focused on addressing food insecurity.
“Our longstanding partnership with America’s Grow-a-Row brings Bayer’s mission of ‘Health for all, Hunger for none’ to life in a very tangible way,” said Trevor Thrun, President of Bayer’s U.S. Consumer Health business. “Through this partnership, Bayer has contributed 5.5 million servings of fresh produce to families in need to-date. It’s a powerful example of the meaningful impact we can make when we come together to support the communities where we live and work.”
More Than 200 Bayer Employees Volunteer with America’s Grow-a-Row
More than 200 Bayer employees volunteered with America’s Grow-a-Row on August 27 and October 1, harvesting 165,500 pounds of produce, equivalent to approximately 662,000 servings. Together, the volunteer days supported efforts to make nutritious food more accessible while bringing people together for a shared purpose.
Through these hands-on opportunities, Bayer employees worked side-by-side to harvest fresh produce and support America’s Grow-a-Row’s mission. The impact of this work was especially evident during the October volunteer day.
“Bayer employees from our New Jersey and Pennsylvania offices harvested 140,000 pounds of winter squash at America’s Grow-a-Row, providing 560,000 servings of fresh, healthy produce for distribution to food banks, food pantries and soup kitchens in the region. Nearly 200 Bayer employees joined the effort this year, learning firsthand about the important work America’s Grow-a-Row is doing to address food insecurity,” said Susan Anderson, Director of Philanthropy and Community Impact at Bayer.
About America’s Grow-a-Row
America’s Grow-a-Row is a nonprofit organization that grows, gleans, and donates fresh, healthy produce to individuals and families facing food insecurity. Founded in 2002 as a father-daughter garden project by Chip Paillex and his daughter Kyra, America’s Grow-a-Row has grown from donating just 120 pounds of fresh produce in its first season to an anticipated 4.3 million pounds in 2026, marking 24 years of extraordinary growth and impact. Operating on 423 acres of preserved farmland in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, the organization partners with food banks and hunger relief agencies to distribute millions of pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables annually throughout New Jersey, New York City, Philadelphia, and beyond. Through these partnerships and its Free Farm Markets, America’s Grow-a-Row reaches communities in all 21 New Jersey counties. In addition to providing nutritious food, the organization offers hands-on nutrition education to people of all ages, empowering individuals and families to prepare healthy, affordable meals on a limited budget.
About Bayer
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. In line with its mission, “Health for all, Hunger for none,” the company’s products and services are designed to help people and the planet thrive by supporting efforts to master major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. Bayer is committed to driving sustainable development and generating a positive impact with its businesses, while creating value through innovation and growth. For more information, visit www.bayer.com
More Than 200 Bayer Employees Volunteer with America’s Grow-a-Row
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and fellow Democrat Nithya Raman were tightly matched in early returns Wednesday, as voters weighed whether to replace the embattled incumbent with a challenger backed by the Democratic Socialists of America.
The outcome will determine if the nation’s second most populous city will follow the lead of New York, where democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor last year.
The first votes counted after polls closed showed Bass with a slight lead. But in each of several small updates to the count, Raman gained ground. The challenger eventually slipped ahead and held a slim advantage in a tally early Wednesday.
An estimated one-third of the ballots remained uncounted.
In a fiery speech to cheering supporters Tuesday night, a confident Bass shouted, “We will achieve victory. I love Los Angeles.”
After acknowledging more votes needed to be counted, she led the crowd in refrains of “Four more years,” and added, “When we fight, we win.”
A broadly smiling Raman told supporters “I'm very hopeful” and urged them to dance with her at an election night party. She alluded to the Democratic rout in Congress and said, “This election is about change too.”
“Hopelessness can be fatal for a city,” she added. “But this campaign refused to accept that."
Bass continues to face fallout from the deadly 2025 Palisades Fire, which became the most destructive blaze in city history. Los Angeles also struggles with an ongoing homelessness crisis — filthy encampments and rows of rusting RVs are a common sight in many neighborhoods. In the city known as the birthplace of the film industry, Hollywood jobs have been fleeing for years for cheaper locales. There are widespread complaints over the lack of basic services, from street paving to streetlight repair.
The choice voters make will have implications beyond the city limits, with Los Angeles preparing to host the 2028 Olympic Games.
Nationally, a victory for Raman would place her in the vanguard of democratic socialists in municipal government. In addition to Mamdani, Janeese Lewis George was elected Tuesday as mayor of Washington, D.C., after running practically unopposed, and Katie Wilson is mayor in Seattle.
Bass, 73, has argued that she’s made enough progress to merit another term leading a city of 3.8 million people. She says Raman, 45, is “not ready for primetime” after only six years on the council.
Raman endorsed Bass before changing her mind and entering the contest herself. Now, she says, “we cannot afford another four years of decline, of mismanagement, of excuses.”
Bass was out of the country when the Palisades Fire ignited and caught the fire department unprepared despite days of warnings about the potential for powerful winds and bone-dry weather. This past June, a fire east of downtown in a massive frozen-food warehouse caused weeks of foul smells and frustration.
One of the unknowns is where supporters of former candidate Spencer Pratt will turn, if they vote at all. Pratt — a Republican and one-time reality personality who lost his home in the Palisades Fire — picked up about a quarter of the primary vote but did not advance to November.
Key issues in the race include public safety.
Bass wants to hire more police officers, and she has branded Raman’s views on policing and homelessness as “extreme.” Raman has said she would replace the police chief, which Bass has said would be reckless in advance of the Olympics.
Raman once talked of a department that would be much smaller and posted “defund the police” on social media in 2020. She did not support the mayor’s 2023 police contract, which she said was too expensive for the financially strapped city. More recently, she said the police department should remain at its current size.
On homelessness, Bass stresses the city has cleared dozens of encampments and brought thousands of people into shelter, but data show nearly half of them dropped out of the system and presumably returned to the streets.
Raman has opposed efforts to prohibit homeless people from setting up tents within 500 feet (152 meters) of schools and daycare centers. However, she appears to have softened her opposition to no-camping zones, which were intended to curb the spread of encampments and clear streets. She voted against dozens of them on the council but later said she would not block them if elected mayor.
If elected, Raman has said she would reduce the number of people sleeping in tents and encampments by at least 50% by 2028. She wants to expand medical teams that would bring care to encampments and others living on the streets, in an effort to build trust with those individuals to bring them indoors. She also wants to provide more housing to move people out of hotels rented by the city for the homeless.
Bass is backed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Vice President Kamala Harris and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, along with nearly every member of the city council, including several aligned with the democratic socialists. She served in the state Legislature and Congress before becoming mayor in 2022 and was under consideration to be former President Joe Biden’s running mate in 2020.
In an important signal to the business community, billionaire developer Rick Caruso said he was voting for Bass, but stopped short of formally endorsing her. The two are former adversaries; Bass defeated Caruso in the 2022 mayoral race.
Raman, an urban planner, has picked up notable support from advocacy and political groups, including Our Revolution, which was founded by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, and the Sierra Club. She’s thin on endorsements from prominent local politicians. She landed a widely publicized private meeting with former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is not involved in the race, that hinted at her efforts to broaden her circle.
Raman sought to seize on voter anxiety over long-running problems in the city. A Berkeley IGS/LA Times poll conducted from Oct. 19-25 found that about 4 in 10 likely voters said reducing the number of homeless encampments should be a top priority for the next mayor to address, while about 3 in 10 said that about ensuring public safety or building more affordable housing.
“Homelessness is rising despite hundreds of millions of dollars spent. Storefronts are closing,” Raman said in the sole televised debate. Bass, she said, has been "missing in action.”
Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman is joined on stage by her family at an election night event Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman speaks at an election night event Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman gets a hug from a supporter at an election night event Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman dances with supporters at an election night event Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman votes on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
A supporter is silhouetted in front of a sign for Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman at an election night event Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass rallies supporters on Election Day Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman smiles as she votes on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass rallies supporters on Election Day Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman reacts during a campaign event Monday, Nov. 2, 2026, on the UCLA campus in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass sits in a restaurant during a campaign event Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, in the Boyle Heights section of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman speaks during a campaign event Monday, Nov. 2, 2026, on the UCLA campus in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass talks to the media at a campaign event, Monday, Nov. 2, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
