What do Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews have in common? That is, aside from a passionate love for guitars and moody songwriting.
If you guessed farming, then you probably already know that those four musicians are coming to Milwaukee this Saturday for the 25th year of Farm Aid, the longest-running benefit concert in the United States.
Farm Aid was born in the mid-’80s, at a time when America’s farmers were in serious economic trouble. With prices for produce and land values depreciating while interest rates and production costs rose drastically, tens of thousands of farmers were suffering from debt and foreclosure.
According to Farm Aid communications director Jennifer Fahy, nearly one million people were forced off their land in one 12-month time period.
But then, in 1985, American musician Willie Nelson heard Bob Dylan’s comments at Live Aid, a concert organized to raise relief funds for the people of Ethiopia, who were suffering from a major famine that year. Dylan said something needed to be done for the struggling farmers right here in America, and Nelson couldn’t agree more.
“He (Nelson) knew what was going on and he said, ‘You know, we’ve got to do something,’” Fahy said.
Nelson teamed up with fellow musicians Neil Young and John Mellencamp to organize Farm Aid, a benefit show designed to increase public awareness of the American farming crisis and raise funds to keep American farm families on their land.
The first Farm Aid concert attracted a whopping 78,000 fans to Champaign, Ill. to watch over 50 artists perform. The benefit raised more than $9 million for the nation’s farmers and their families.
25 years and over $37 million later, Farm Aid is still committed to bringing help and awareness to family farms across the country.
“It was the age of benefit concerts back then, and (they) thought it would just be one concert,” Fahy said. “But they just kept on finding that we needed to have another concert and keep things going.”
The concert became an annual event, and Farm Aid has worked to take the show throughout the country, bringing the music to the farmers. This year marks the organization’s first time in Wisconsin.
“We’re thrilled to be in Wisconsin because it has such a wealth of agricultural history and culture, but at the same time it’s a great place for us to talk about how far we’ve come in 25 years and what challenges still face family farmers,” Fahy said.
For its big anniversary, the concert has donned a special name: Farm Aid 25: Growing Hope for America. Fahy said the focus this year is to get people talking about the role family farmers play in helping the U.S. meet its greatest challenges: our economy, our environment and our health.
“We aren’t going to solve any of these problems without family farmers,” Fahy said.
The benefit is being held at Miller Park, a larger venue compared to the amphitheaters that Farm Aid is used to, and Fahy said they are hoping to pack the house. With a solid lineup of performers and 100 percent of ticket sales going directly to support family farms, this should not be a difficult task.
Ali Clark, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said she is looking forward to Saturday’s concert. She is excited about the music, but she also said the event is a good way to build a personal connection between farmers and consumers.
“I like that they’re using music as the venue to start the conversation between the people and the farmers because I feel like it speaks to a bigger group of people, and probably people who might not otherwise be a part of the conversation,” Clark said.
The board of directors, made up of Nelson, Young, Mellencamp and 2001 addition Matthews, perform each year at the show. Saturday’s concert also features repeat performances by Kenny Chesney, Jeff Tweedy of Wilco and Jason Mraz, who Fahy said has an avocado farm of his own.
In addition, newcomers like Norah Jones, Band of Horses and Robert Francis will take the stage.
In addition to the music, Farm Aid features their “HOMEGROWN concessions” and “HOMEGROWN Village.” HOMEGROWN concessions are family farm-identified, local and organic foods, including organic pizza, local brats, local fruit and many other healthy and delicious options for concert-goers to get a taste of.
Complementing these concessions, HOMEGROWN Village allows farmers and farming organizations to present educational information and hands-on activities for patrons, so they can meet real farmers and learn about how they are growing good, healthy food.
Faye Jones, a farmer and director of Midwest Organic and Sustainable Educational Services (MOSES), will present two displays at HOMEGROWN Village. The first features questions and answers all about soil, and the second provides information for beginning farmers.
“For our organization, this is a great way to spread the word of soil health,” Jones said. “Soil health is the key to healthy crops and healthy crops are the key to healthy people.”
Jones said the concept behind the concert isn’t just about the farmers that organizations like MOSES and Farm Aid are trying to save; it is also about generating a new culture for the way that people think about food.
“I think it’s great what they are doing,” Jones said. “It’s an exciting way to try and create a broader awareness.”
Farm Aid 25: Growing Hope for America is Saturday, Oct. 2 at Miller Park. The park opens at 12 p.m., and acts will begin performing shortly thereafter. Tickets range from $39.50 to $97.50 and can be ordered at the Brewers’ box office, 414-902-4000, or online at www.tickets.com.
