A Day at the Ballpark to Celebrate Farmers

As a third-generation farmer and a “Cardinals’ fan for life,” Craig Hoemann of Berger, Missouri, made the most of an opportunity to throw the first pitch in honor of Farmer Appreciation Day on July 14 at Busch Stadium. 

With his two sons watching on the field, Craig launched a strike in front of the gameday crowd of more than 39,000. 

With all eyes on Craig, there was no stress, only fun for this Cardinals’ fan as he lined up on the pitcher’s mound. Despite the one-hour drive from Berger to the ballpark, he and his family come to several games each year and are huge fans. “It was a great honor to be asked to throw out a first pitch,” Craig said, noting that it was especially satisfying to make it a strike.

While it wasn’t enough to help the Cardinals defeat the Chicago Cubs, it was a fitting start to a day hosted by Team Bayer to show gratitude for the hard work of American farmers.

For the Hoemann family, the game was a relaxing mid-season break from their farming operation of approximately 3,000 acres of row crops in and around Berger, about 70 miles due west of St. Louis. “Every season has its share of challenges,” Craig said when asked about how it’s going on his farm. “We were set back early with all the wet weather but have been able to catch up and everything is coming along nicely.”

Sharing a Love of the Land

Events like Farmer Appreciation Day offer a small window into the world of modern agriculture for those who do not have a direct connection to farming. Craig hopes opportunities like this will show the love of the land that all farmers share.

Long hours and stress due to variables beyond a farmer’s control, such as weather, combine to sometime make farming a challenging occupation, “But it’s a way of life that I wouldn’t change,” Craig notes.

Among the audience at Busch Stadium, which included many Bayer employees and farmers, was Scott Stein, Bayer Crop Science Corn Business Lead. Scott was happy to take the opportunity to thank farmers for their important contributions.

“Many Bayer employees have close ties to agriculture within our own families, so it is important to us that farmers are seen and recognized for their hard work and incredible expertise – utilizing cutting-edge technologies and precision guided digital tools to sustainably produce more and better food and fiber, while taking care of the soil, the environment, their families, and our communities,” Scott said.

“Farmers are at the heart of our strategy; they’re why we do what we do every day.”