HUNTINGTON, IN- Local farmer Adam Couch and family recently directed a $5,000 Bayer Fund America’s Farmers Grow Communities donation to Friends of the Upper Wabash Interpretive Services. Friends of the Upper Wabash Interpretive Services will use the funds to further environmental education through nature-related programs specifically designed for youth and their families, provided by Upper Wabash Interpretive Services (UWIS). Funding will also contribute to a new water bottle filling station – promoting reuse, reduce, and recycle – located at Salamonie Interpretive Center, located at Lost Bridge West SRA, Salamonie Lake.
“We would like to thank the Adam Couch family and the Bayer Fund for this sizable donation allowing Friends of the UWIS to further promote youth-specific education of our natural resources. This is an exciting time for UWIS as we look forward to implementing new and upcoming community programs, such as our new Trail Tales partnership,” said Teresa Rody, Upper Wabash Interpretive Services, interpretive manager. In 2022, Bayer Fund revamped America’s Farmers Grow Communities program, making it easier for farmers across the country to find and fund the organizations and institutions that keep their communities thriving. This included doubling the individual donations to $5,000, up from $2,500 in previous years to provide a greater impact to local rural communities.
For more than a decade, Grow Communities has partnered with farmers to direct funds to programs and organizations that contribute to their communities’ health and vibrancy, such as food banks, schools and youth agriculture programs. Since the America’s Farmers programs began in 2010, the initiatives have awarded nearly $65 million to such programs.
“Each year we hear from several nonprofit and school leaders, as well as farmers, about the ways Grow Communities has made a difference,” said Al Mitchell, Bayer Fund president. “Bayer Fund is proud to work side-by-side with farmers to identify local nonprofit organizations and schools that are improving rural communities in the areas of health and wellness, food and nutrition, and STEM and ag education.”
Farmers can enroll for the opportunity to direct a 2023 Grow Communities donation starting on August 1, 2022. To learn more about the enrollment process and how America’s Farmers programs are making an impact, visit www.Americasfarmers.com.
About Bayer Fund
Bayer Fund is a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the communities where Bayer customers and employees live and work by providing funding for food and nutrition, education and community development projects.