Farm Aid 30 Press Event - The Roots and the Future of the Family Farm Movement

Here is the full Farm Aid 30 Press Event "The Roots and the Future of the Family Farm Movement" from Farm Aid 2015, Chicago held on September 19th, 2015.

With appearances by Farm Aid board members Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews, the Farm Aid 30 press event focused on the actions people have taken to make a difference for family farmers.

Moderated by WBEZ radio's food and agriculture correspondent, Monica Eng. The message from Farm Aid 30 rang clear at FirstMerit Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island in Chicago on Sept. 19: Every action each one of us takes makes a difference for family farmers.

Farm Aid’s 30th anniversary brought thousands together to celebrate the progress that has been made for family farmers since 1985 and to emphasize the importance of the Good Food Movement. At the concert, Farm Aid reaffirmed its commitment to creating a future of family farm agriculture.

“When we started Farm Aid, a crisis was gripping farm country,” said Willie Nelson, president and founder of Farm Aid. “Farm Aid called on America to stand up for family farmers. They showed up then, and they’re still showing up. All different types of people are coming together for family farmers, and we’re making a difference.”

Learn more about Farm Aid at http://farmaid.org

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Willie Nelson

From Willie Nelson on 30 Years of Farm Aid -- and Why He's More Passionate Than Ever About Legalizing Pot | Billboard by David Ritz | October 15, 2015:

Of all the causes you might have championed, why Farm Aid?

Farming was my first job. I picked cotton. I pulled corn. I knew firsthand what it meant to farm. I knew damn well how tough it was. In high school, I was a proud member of Future Farmers of America. My farm roots are deep-seated in the soil of my personal story.

Willie Nelson Sick, Concerts Affected

In Farm Aid’s three decades, what is your most memorable moment?

It might have been that first one, because back then there was still uncertainty. Who knew if the idea would work? So it was a real thrill when the show sold out and 80,000 fans showed up. Beyond Dylan, Young and Mellencamp, we had B.B. King, Waylon Jennings, Bonnie Raitt, Kris Kristofferson, Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash and a slew of others. Everyone was eager to pitch in.

1985, Champaign, Ill. The inaugural Farm Aid raised more than $7 million with a crowd of 80,000. From left: Cash, Nelson and Jennings. Paul Natkin

Through Farm Aid’s history, what is your proudest accomplishment?

The fact that we’ve raised the public consciousness. There’s awareness today about the challenges of farming and the benefits of buying products on a local level -- especially organic food -- that was missing 30 years ago. Farmers’ markets have sprouted up. People realize the downside of shipping in food from hundreds of miles away -- wasting money on costly fuel -- when wholesome food can be grown and bought within a local area.

Do you believe the plight of the farmer has significantly improved?

There’s lot of work still to be done, but yes, I do believe real progress has been made. The proliferation of social media, for example, has been a good thing. All forms of communication help, especially when communication starts at the grass-roots level. Corporate-owned newspapers and magazines can be biased, but nowadays folks are looking beyond that; they’re hungry for the truth. Consumers are educating themselves about where and how food is grown.

Willie Nelson for Nobel Peace Prize For Farm Aid

The campaign for a Nobel Peace Prize for Willie Nelson's Farm Aid work and other causes continues. Thus far, over 25,000 have supported the effort by liking Willie Nelson for a Nobel Peace Prize page on Facebook.

With this year's Farm Aid 2012 in Hershey, PA coming up, we thought it was a good idea to remind folks of the remarkable lifetime achievements of the founder of Farm Aid, Willie Nelson.

Willie Nelson's efforts for Farm Aid, his work on alternative fuels, and world peace initiatives deserve a nomination for a Nobel Peace Prize. (Full details of Nelson's career and commitment to humanitarian efforts are here.)

Willie Nelson has been helping family farmers for over 25 years and has raised awareness of healthy foods while raising funds for the cause.

Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp organized the first Farm Aid concert in 1985 to raise awareness about the loss of family farms and to raise funds to keep farm families on their land. Dave Matthews joined the Farm Aid Board of Directors in 2001. Farm Aid has raised more than $37 million to promote a strong and resilient family farm system of agriculture. Farm Aid is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to keep family farmers on their land.


John Mellencamp is campaigning to get Willie Nelson a Nobel Peace Prize. The interview took place on SIRIUS XM Willie's Place at Farm Aid 25 in Milwaukee, Wisc.




Thanks everybody for liking Willie Nelson for Nobel Peace Prize page on Facebook!