Since 1985, Farm Aid has existed to help American farmers survive in the ever-changing environment where they often find themselves fighting against competitors around the world, Mother Nature, and even their own representatives.
When farms around the nation were being foreclosed on in the ’80s, Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, and Neil Young organized the first benefit concert in Champaign, Illinois, with the idea that music could raise both funds and awareness for struggling farmers.
The show drew more than 80,000 people and featured a lineup of big time artists who rallied around the cause, helping to spark a national conversation about the importance of family farming.
Over the decades, it has raised tens of millions of dollars to support programs that provide emergency assistance to farmers and help educate the merits of sustainable agriculture, the benefits of buying locally, and the need to protect rural communities from industrial consolidation and unfair practices.
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