St. Louis, Missouri, USA
February 28, 2023 

When you watch NASCAR driver Ross Chastain zoom by competitors on the racetrack, it’s hard not to swell with pride at the accomplishments achieved by an eighth-generation watermelon grower. But at the opening ceremony of this year’s National Watermelon Convention, sponsored by Vegetables by Bayer brand Seminis, it was Chastain who shared how proud he was to be a part of such a phenomenal watermelon industry.
 

“What you do every day is important, and people need to hear about the hard work it takes to bring fresh and healthy produce to their tables,” says Chastain. “I’m humbled and honored to share your stories -- from the care you put into planting the right varieties and how you nurture your crops to how you harvest, pack and ship your product so consumers can enjoy every delicious bite. You are smart, innovative and driven by a passion to feed our communities, and we appreciate you.”

For the past year, Vegetables by Bayer brand Seminis has supported Chastain as he uses his platform to raise awareness about the important role farmers fill. It was a natural fit for the company who has partnered with Chastain’s family farm as well.

“At Seminis, we value our partnership with watermelon growers and love working with them to help strengthen their operation any way we can, whether its determining which watermelon variety will perform the best in particular fields, providing market insights or collaborating on management solutions,” says Clayton Norman, Southeast Sales Lead, Vegetables by Bayer. “But we also appreciate our partnership with Ross himself. He is a phenomenal driver, but an even greater advocate for the watermelon industry, using his racing platform to educate consumers about who grows their food.”
 

Seminis is so proud of Chastain’s advocacy work that earlier in February it renewed its commitment to be the official sponsor of the watermelon at Chastain’s trackside-smashes. Chastain, who was already planning on attending the National Watermelon Convention as an industry representative, joined Seminis to help open the National Watermelon Convention. He spent time talking with attendees and as a special thank you, signed “We Love Farmers” and Melon Man and Seminis co-branded items. 

During the show, Seminis also celebrated the recent launch of its new JetSki watermelon variety by auctioning off a brand-new JetSki. The water vehicle was auctioned off to help support the National Watermelon Association and showcase the new Seminis 45-count watermelon variety, which joined other high-performing varieties in the Seminis watermelon portfolio this year.

Published: March 3, 2023