Community

Take Care, Now: Improving Access to Health and Nutrition in Farm and Rural Communities

Luke Bryan with a DEKALB corn bag over his shoulder

With our partners, Bayer is raising awareness and taking action to alleviate "care deserts" in farm and rural communities across America. Care deserts are places where access to both healthcare and healthy, affordable food is limited.

 

Learn more about care deserts and enter to win 2024 Luke Bryan Farm Tour VIP Tickets below!

Picking up fresh fruit and vegetables at the local grocery store or going to the doctor for a check-up and screening might seem like a normal routine, but for many Americans these critical elements of health and nutrition remain out of reach. These areas impacted by both food insecurity and limited access to healthcare, are closer than you might think. 

 

They are especially prevalent in rural communities. Today, 90 percent of counties with the highest food insecurity rates are rural1 and rural communities represent nearly two-thirds of the country where there's a shortage of primary health professionals.2 In other words, counties with the highest rates of food insecurity and limited access to healthcare options are disproportionately rural.

 

As one of the country's largest life-sciences companies with leading businesses across health and nutrition, Bayer in partnership with Kroger are committed to tending to the communities in which we live and work to help.


 

Increasing access to health and nutrition

As a part of the Take Care, Now campaign Bayer, Kroger and Luke Bryan are raising awareness and taking action to help enhance access to health and nutrition. 

Bayer is teaming up with Kroger to support rural communities through the AgriSafe Network, an organization working to address health disparities in rural communities, by providing additional training to 50 nurses in local communities.

AgriSafe Network Logo

Bayer will help provide one million meals through Feeding America, the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States, bringing our total to more than 7 million meals since our partnership began. 

Feeding America Logo

Fear, anxiety, and lack of knowledge are holding people back from managing their physical health, according to the study conducted by Bayer and The Harris Poll.

 

Bayer is educating on the risk for cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and prostate cancer. Ninety percent of people with kidney disease do not know they have it because the symptoms are silent. Two simple tests for kidney function and kidney damage are an easy way to assess your risk. A simple blood test called a PSA is used to screen for prostate cancer. People can learn more by visiting the Bayer Aspirin Heart Risk Assessment Tool or Bayer's partners, The National Kidney Foundation and Zero Prostate Cancer.*

 

*Does not replace an assessment by a qualified healthcare professional. Always talk to your doctor or healthcare professional about your heart health. 

 

Bayer products on the Kroger Store
Luke Bryan, Bayer & Kroger are Helping Families Be Well
Sebastian Guth Headshot
Food, nutrition and health are interconnected and, across America – especially in rural America – people don’t always have access to the food, nutrition or preventative healthcare they need. We’re proud to support rural communities where our employees live and work and where we do business.
Sebastian Guth
,
President of Bayer U.S. and Pharmaceuticals North America

Care Deserts are closer than you think

The need to help increase access to health and nutrition has never been greater. This is why the “Take Care, Now” campaign will be brought to events this fall, starting with Farm Progress Show, taking place in Decatur, Illinois, in August. The campaign will also be at all six Luke Bryan Farm Tour concerts, where Bayer is a presenting sponsor, and has partnered with Kroger along the way.  


Scroll through our map to see our stops in rural communities that we are supporting. And if you want to express your support to farmers and rural America we encourage you to share the hashtag #HerestotheFarmer on your social media channels.

Luke Bryan performing at a concerts
Win 2024 Luke Bryan Farm Tour VIP Tickets
Take Care, Now

Scroll through our campaign stops. 

1
Farm Progress Show in Decatur Illinois

August 29 to 31

As a global leader in agriculture, Bayer features its integrated solutions for farmers from seeds and traits to digital farming solutions at the Farm Progress Show

 

Nearest care desert: 

Fayette County Illinois, 60 miles away
Food Insecurity Rate: 12.1% of people lack access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy lifestyle 
Physician Deficit: -72% gap to achieve the population to practitioner target ratio
 

2
Luke Bryan Farm Tour in Shelbyville Kentucky

September 14 at Mulberry Orchard

 

Nearest care desert: 

Jackson Kentucky, 127 miles away
Food Insecurity Rate: 19.1% of people lack access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy lifestyle 
Physician Deficit: -59% gap to achieve the population to practitioner target ratio

 

3
Luke Bryan Farm Tour in Millersport Ohio

September 15 at Miller Family Farm

 

Nearest care desert: 

Pike Ohio, 72 miles away
Food Insecurity Rate: 17.6% of people lack access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy lifestyle 
Physician Deficit: -74% gap to achieve the population to practitioner target ratio

4
Luke Bryan Farm Tour in Allegan Michigan

September 16 at John Schaendorf Dairy 

 

Nearest care desert: 

Calhoun County Michigan, 69 miles away
Food Insecurity Rate: 13% of people lack access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy lifestyle 
Physician Deficit: -92% gap to achieve the population to practitioner target ratio

5
Luke Bryan Farm Tour in Colfax Iowa

September 21 at Schnell Family Farms

 

Nearest care desert: 

Clark Country Missouri, 151 miles away
Food Insecurity Rate: 12.5% of people lack access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy lifestyle 
Physician Deficit: -32% gap to achieve the population to practitioner target ratio

6
Kroger Wellness Festival in Cincinnati Ohio

September 22 and 23

 

The Kroger Wellness Festival is a free public event spanning 6 city blocks in downtown Cincinnati. With several featured sponsors including Bayer, the festival focuses on physical and mental health for all.

 

Nearest care desert: 

Brown County, 50 miles away
Food Insecurity Rate: 14% of people lack access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy lifestyle 
Physician Deficit: -31% gap to achieve the population to practitioner target ratio

 

7
Luke Bryan Farm Tour in Brooklyn Wisconsin

September 22 at Klondike Farms

 

Nearest care desert: 

Adams Wisconsin, 99 miles away
Food Insecurity Rate: 10.9% of people lack access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy lifestyle 
Physician Deficit: -75% gap to achieve the population to practitioner target ratio

8
Luke Bryan Farm Tour in Eyota Minnesota

September 23 at Gar-Lin Dairy LLC

 

Nearest care desert: 

Clayton County Iowa, 116 miles away
Food Insecurity Rate: 9.5% of people lack access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy lifestyle 
Physician Deficit: -50% gap to achieve the population to practitioner target ratio

Care Deserts Sources: 

Food Insecurity Rate: Annual budget needed to make sure all residents in the county are food secure 
Source: Feeding America Map the Meal Gap report 

 

Physician Deficit: Primary care physicians needed to eliminate the healthcare shortage in the county
Source: Health Resources & Service Administration

 

References:
  1. Rural Hunger Facts | Feeding America 
  2. Expanding health care access in rural communities | Center for American Progress