Normally, we would start our little review with a standard opening line of "this year's Farm Aid concert in Raleigh featured yet another great Neil Young performance".
But alas, no Neil this year -- although his spirit hovered about throughout the day.
Regardless -- even with Neil's very conspicuous absence -- we had a stellar day with our awesome FarmAidian friends and the other 20,000 or so music, food and farm lovers.
It was sort of weird to go to a Neil Young "concert event" like FA but without an actual Neil performance. Sort of like having a warm beer or something where a very key ingredient is missing.
All that said, it was a wonderful day to be out with so many music and farm lovers.
The day started with an early morning Press Conference of the Farm Aid Board making their annual plea on behalf of the plight on the family farm crisis they have been facing for decades.
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During the Press Conference, Farm Aid announced plans for ‘A Major Farmer Mobilization in Washington’ in March 2023. Farm Aid will team with the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition for the biggest D.C. gathering of family farmers in decades.
In other major Farm Aid news, Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay presented Farm Aid and John Mellencamp, with a $1 million check donation.
Farm Aid.
Willie Nelson is a gift to humanity and just to be in his presence -- along with his sons Lukas & Micah -- is an act in restoring one's faith in humanity.
During the Press Conference, Farm Aid announced plans for ‘A Major Farmer Mobilization in Washington’ in March 2023. Farm Aid will team with the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition for the biggest D.C. gathering of family farmers in decades.
ReplyDeleteReliable Permit Solutions, LLC
Recent research, a brand new paper with a new methodology, shows evidence that soil erosion has increased far beyond that USDA estimates for "sustainable" row-cropping in Iowa and the upper midwest. I have been working in philosophy of agriculture for the last ten years. I don't know what research the Farm Aid committee reads or discusses but the picture is getting worse and worse. Legislation in Iowa (the agricultural powerhouse in the United States) is concealing and protecting what people call "factory farms" (a better name is "high tech farming"). I risked getting arrested last year when I was taking photos of a newly constructed CAFO for 13,000 head of cattle (this is new for Iowa, all or most of our CAFOs are hog confinements). Get this one, if we calculate the amount of non-human animal waste and animal waste together, Iowa ranks would rank as the seventh largest producer of excretion in the world (ahead of Russia).
ReplyDeleteI meant non-human animal waster and animal waste, sorry
ReplyDeleteGee whiz, not doing too well here: human waste and non human animal waste together
ReplyDeleteThanks for report Abner.
ReplyDeleteCertainly another dimension to Micah's song "Everything is Bullshit".
but seriously, yes, the environmental impact of Big AG is beyond massive. For those that attend FA, you are well familiar with the FarmYard w/ all the booths and tents which support sustainable ag.
These workshops go into composting, low/no till, no GMOs, pesticides, herbicides, etc.
FA is really far more than just a concert. It's a movement w/ cause & purpose.
We were very humbled to be a small part of such a big day.
#Willie4Nobel
Thanks, learnt a new word/abbreviation: CAFO is short for FOMD (farms of mass destruction). Hereabouts the energy shortage is turning the tables. Organic, regional and seasonal food now sometimes is cheaper than agro-industrial product because the latter uses up so much natural gas and other fuels (fertilizer, processing, transportation). In some areas organic production already makes for 30% of the agricultural output. Farmaidians would like it here, even though life is not easy for our farmers either.
ReplyDelete@ RPS - yes, a momentous announcement. now if the farmers can achieve in March what happened in the 70's then maybe we'll see some long overdue progress on Big AG's willful destruction of small family farms.
ReplyDeletefrankly, like so much, there needs to be serious truth and reconciliation on subject.
there needs to be accountability for these crimes, justice meted and serious consequences for ALL the perps. this aggression will not stand & THEY must atone.
and who's gonna stand up and come to Washington DC in March???
We'll be here but will YOU???
@ Dionys - the ironies are infuriating how BIG Science & AG hoodwinked so many into a futile chase of huge yields or die.
the soils can only give so much.
just like neil music, you need to rotate on a very regular basis.
repetition is bad. rotation is good.
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ReplyDeleteThat really was a fun day with the Farmaidians! Enjoyed the early acts as much as the main headliners. The press conference was as fired up as ever even without Neil there this year.
ReplyDeleteCan't thank Paul, Thrasher and Thrasherette enough having me hang with ya'll. What a great and grand couple of days...
@ Jim - definitely. probably our best day this year, for sure.
ReplyDeleteso much energy, spirit and folks just wanting to have fun.
reminds us of of the good old days...