“Farmers are the soul of America”: Farm Aid 2026 Report

“Farmers are the soul of America”: Neil Young

Farm Aid 2026 Press Conference - September 26

photos by Jim McKelvey (Click photo to enlarge)

Here is a special report from a Farm Aid veteran of many decades, ace photographer and our good ol' pal Jim McKelvey.

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“Farmers are the soul of America,” Neil Young said at the Farm Aid 2026 Press Conference a few days after the equinox on the Harvest Moon.

“I believe that because they're on the land. As we cruise around playing our concerts over the last 50 or 60 years in our buses and trucks and everything, we see a lot of farmers and sometimes we get to talk to them and talk to their families. I remember one farmer's wife saying how scared she was when she was out hanging the laundry because everything was changing and the crops weren't like they were before and they could feel that something was happening. Out on the farm, out on the land, out in America, the farmers are the ones who see it coming first. They're the ones who are out there in it. They're not inside a city. They're not anywhere else. They're out in America, in the world. They can feel the wind blowing like we can feel this breeze coming in here. Every once in a while it's a big gust. That's the future.”

My first experience with Farm Aid was when Neil Young arranged an interview with Willie Nelson for me in 1985. That interview with Willie Nelson started around 10:30 PM after a show at Pine Knob Music Theater outside Detroit. Honestly, I ran out of tape at three hours, and I think we continued to talk after about myths and movies. It was about ten days before the very first Farm Aid and my quotes from the interview were used on the front page of the Detroit Free Press for the evening and morning editions. My parents watched me go from a Detroit Free Press paperboy with 90 daily and 130 Sunday papers to writing for the paper.

My first time attending Farm Aid was in 2003 as a photojournalist in Columbus, Ohio at the Germain Amphitheater. One person in the photo pit honestly asked me which one is Neil Young for the two songs we were allowed. One of them turned out to be Hey, Hey, My, My which made me a happy camper, for sure! The other song was Down By The River with Willie Nelson as a guest that I was over the moon about in the photo pit. Neil would not stand still so I had a lot of blur in my images, but some of them looked very arty.

On the equinox, which is a vital part of the soul of Farm Aid as far as I’m concerned, a big old nor’easter was blowing off the coast of Virginia and for a while Virginia Beach was in the cross hairs. 

A Nor’easter Hits Virginia Beach on Farm Aid Eve

It made for some interesting discussions I’m sure about how to proceed with Farm Aid among the board members Willie Nelson, Neil Young, Dave Matthews, John Mellencamp and newbies Margo Price and Nathanial Rateliff.

The FarmAidians, led by our hosts Paul and Renee, got to Virginia Beach from Canada in the early afternoon of Friday, the day before the concert. There were a few adopted FarmAidians who also gathered with them out in the parking lot, and it was kind of breezy there. As usual, they make their own joyful atmosphere that overpowered the nor’easter there for about 36 hours about a dozen miles inland from the coast.

There was an ebb and flow of the storm off the coast, so the outdoor pre-Farm Aid show had to move inside the Hilton Ballroom on Friday evening. 

Chris Pierce

There were several Farm Aid Eve acts scheduled, but the superb Chris Pierce was the entertainment for the evening inside. Pierce played for nearly an hour. The sort of never ending local organic buffet was delicious all evening.

A lot of the artists came down front with the FarmAidians for the press conference seen here.

Farm Aid certainly has a high tech production team and this was taken during the press conference!

Daryl Hannah

Walking around the venue to document the show for Thrashers Wheat I ran into Daryl Hannah near the soundboard petting a goat. Got to talk to her for a bit standing behind Micah Nelson and had a nice private conversation with her.

Just as the press conference was getting underway I put down some sacred tobacco, thanked the four directions, and asked the ancestors for help throughout the day in a good way and to also assist with my photography so something I might have missed while taking the images would show up anyway. Four minutes after that I was talking to Daryl Hannah.

To be honest, I’d like her to direct a screenplay of my second book, “Lessons of Pilot Mountain,” that I gave to Neil at the first show of the Chrome Hearts tour in 2025 so we talked about that a bit. My sort of elevator speech about it had her attention and I hope I wasn’t too obnoxious about it (maybe a conscious layer of Ho’ponopono is needed if it was).

“The farmers get the first glimpse,” Neil Young said during his portion of the Farm Aid press conference. “They can see it coming. They feel it. They may not articulate it the same way as someone else will, but they're the ones on the front lines. They're the ones who are really the real people that are feeling what America is being hit with and going to be hit with. This climate thing is huge. We need real leadership.”

Farm Aid seems to pattern itself after the Green Corn Ceremony and has for years now. Farm Aid begins with a Native American ceremony for the ancestors, for the land and for the people. The Green Corn Ceremony varied as to timing and location of the tribe, but here is a general explanation...

“Green corn ceremonies have played an important role in the ritual life of the Native American tribes of the southeastern United States. These agricultural rites celebrate the ripening of the corn harvest, marking the New Year and the renewal of all life. Homes and public spaces receive a thorough cleaning, all fires are put out, and old food is eaten. The New Year begins with a priest silently kindling a new flame and offering the first of the ripening corn to celebrate the renewal of all life. A dance and feast follows,” according to the Harvard University on the Green Corn Ceremony held every year around the equinox.

Chris Pierce

“Whatever ‘it’ is in music Chris, you’ve got it,” I told Chris Pierce sitting a couple of seats down from him as the press conference adjourned and he walked past my seat in the front row.

Then the MVP performers of Farm Aid 2026, I’m With Her, walked past and I started chatting with Sara Watkins. I told her I’d love to see a reunion of the original W.P.A. band and she mentioned that Benmont Trench was coming out with a new album.

Chris Pierce took the stage as people slowly filed into the Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater around noon on September 26, 2026. While Pierce just got two songs for his set he was just as great as he was the night before. A songwriter to watch who has a future in the chaotic music business.

Speaking of chaos, one wonders what is going to happen with the weather with all the volcanoes going off across the planet. Just weeks before Farm Aid three volcanoes sent ash clouds high into the atmosphere. In 1816 just one volcano caused what was termed, “the year without summer.”

The family farmer needs your support, and you need his food tended with their love.

“Don’t pass a family farm stand without stopping,” a Neil Young poster at Farm Aid 2026 said in the VIP area or words to that effect.

Lily Meola wowed the early arrivals at Farm Aid and then came out for the closing set as a guest with Willie Nelson.

Lily Meola 

Her song, “Daydream,” had me misty eyed early in the day. For my blood, Lily sings like an angel and writes songs like one, too.

“Darlin' don't quit your daydream

It's your life that you're making

It ain't big enough if it doesn't scare the hell out of you

If it makes you nervous

It's probably worth it

Why save it for sleep when you could be

Living your daydream”

The I’m With Her part of Farm Aid sort of set the folk festival vibe in fine style and was amazing.

I’m With Her 

“I’m Proud To Be A Farmer’s Friend” t-shirts were also worn for all the guest sets with others.

Mon Rovîa

Mon Rovîa is one hell of a ukulele player with a wonderful band! This brought a nice international vibe to Farm Aid and should be encouraged.

Sierra Ferrell 

Sierra Ferrell just wowed the crowd for her set with a crackerjack backing band. I wish she would have gotten a little extra time for her set. Must say, they kept to the schedule at Farm Aid this year and pretty much ended on time. As the FarmAidians walked back to the bus to head for the hotel the nor’easter came around again with bands of rain that lasted the rest of the night.

 Jesse Wells

Up until Jesse Wells it sort of felt like a fantastic folk festival at Farm Aid 2026. About two or three hours into it, the electric guitars were unpacked and wowed the heck out of the crowd.

Support live music, indeed!

Mike Campbell

Mike Campbell, of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers fame, returned to Farm Aid after backing Bob Dylan in 2024. Campbell lives loudly and he was a blast! That bass player had his amp blasting!!!

Lukas Nelson 

Having seen Lukas Nelson in the Willie Nelson Family band it wasn’t until 2014 at the Farm Aid in Raleigh that I got a chance to see him in front of his own band. Have been a fan ever since.

Sometimes Lukas reminds me of Al Green with such a soulful way with his voice. By the time Lukas hit the stage the venue was packed to the brim and having a wonderful time of it. Such a thrill to get a shout out from the artists onstage to the FarmAidians down front!

Walking around the venue in our loud t-shirts almost everyone is stopped by somebody asking, “Who are you guys?”

Turnpike Troubadours

It was a bit of a shock after a short break when Nathaniel Rateliff came out solo without his band. However, there was a uniqueness to his set that was compelling. Don’t worry, Rateliff is out with his band in October and is even opening some shows for Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit.

Nathaniel Rateliff 

Nathaniel Rateliff even had I’m With Her out toward the end of his set that was magical.

Nathaniel Rateliff w/  I’m With Her

Nathaniel Rateliff has had a bitter and sweet year with some health issues and has a couple of songs for the soundtrack to writer/director Taylor McFadden’s Lovers. Being chosen to be on the Farm Aid Board of Directors was clearly a big deal for him and he expressed that eloquently at Farm Aid.“

Great solo set by Nathaniel Rateliff!

Margo Price 

Margo Price was up next and she did not disappoint. What a set with a great band and she even tossed out roses to the crowd as her set ended.

Those Farmaidian t-shirts sort of standout down front at the venue...they took up a good portion of the first five rows for Farm Aid.

Margo Price w/ Jesse Wells & Dave Matthews 

Lots of guests came out during the day, which is always a thrill. Margo Price had Jesse Wells and Dave Matthews plus she already had Logan Ledger in her band on the far right here. Logan Ledger does a fantastic version of Neil Young’s Do I Have To Come Right Out and Say It.

Standing ovation for Margo’s set by the whole venue...

“I know anytime I feel depressed, going out to the garden is an immediate cure for me and I think, you know, farmer suicide rates are up,” Margo Price expressed at the press conference. “Not only that, but people are feeling more and more isolated, more and more disconnected. Going outside, growing your own food, even if it's just a small amount.

“I mean, this year I had six different kinds of heirlooms. I had a lot of peppers. I just put my fall garden in, and I always try to kind of barter with people in my neighborhood. My neighbors have chickens and so I trade them tomatoes or maybe cannabis for eggs. But, [laughter] you know, you do what you can. Know where you get your food from, you know, we're up against a lot. I try to show up to city council meetings when I'm home, protest when I can, stay off Amazon, protest data centers, I don't know, there's a lot, but um thank you for the work you're doing.”

Dave Matthews w/ I’m With Her

Even Dave Matthews had I’m With Her out as guests during his set and the photo pit became highly active.

Tim Reynolds

“I'm going to stand because my legs are falling asleep because I'm getting old,” Dave Matthews said at the Press Conference. “But I'm chasing you, Willie! I want to just emphasize I don't know what I'm going to say because it all goes out of my head as soon as I get a microphone in front of me. But I want to say from my heart that the farmers, and small farmers especially, community farmers, are sort of the heart of our community. They're the providers of good food.

They're also the people that believe in the health of the land. So, they serve many purposes, and they are examples to us of many things that are good about us and that are good for the planet.

“I feel compelled to say that there are forces both from our political leaders on both sides and from the wealthy to divide us, to divide us up. We have to remember that we have more in common with the example of farmers than we have things that separate us. We are unified by our common humanity. We need to always remember that there's forces that tell us. The farming community believes this or supports this in politics, or they switch to the other side.

“They try and make us enemies of each other. And it's the most terrible effort because really what it's doing is trying to steal power away from the small farmers and the family farmers so they can turn a profit higher up. It's all about greed that we have to fight. It's about greed [and] control over our land, over our health, over our food, over our schools. It's all about greed. And if someone, it's like I heard Neil say once before, if you want to find a solution to the problems, follow the money. You follow the greed and we will have solutions. Cuz I know that the people here that are farming are caring for our land and they're caring for our communities. I'm deeply grateful for that. We have to fight for them because they are the people that will help us save this planet from greed and corruption.”

Jake Simpson, Tim Reynolds & Dave Matthews

Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds had a guest from Lukas Nelson’s band on “Ants Marching” that had the entire crowd on its feet.

John Mellencamp

John Mellencamp brought a large band for Farm Aid and they were superb.

“That was great!,” John Mellencamp exclaimed when the FarmAidians kept the song going after he’d finished his solo set and was about to bring back his band. This image was from the CNN broadcast.

Lotta love from the crowd for John Mellencamp and is band.

Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts

Of course, Neil and the Chrome Hearts were up next after a couple of warm-up shows with Willie Nelson before Farm Aid.

Neil and Spooner were clearly very energized by the full Harvest Moon. That full moon really seemed to influence all the artists at Farm Aid. Uncle Neil might be on to something with the creativity bounce of a full moon!

Micah Nelson 

Micah Nelson sounded great on every instrument he played during the Chrome Hearts and Willie Nelson Family Band sets.

Think we might have to get Larry Cragg to work on Micah’s guitar there...

Just a beautiful version of “Harvest Moon” you can rewatch on YouTube.

There was a video camera on rails in front of us and when Neil broke his guitar strings during an astounding Rockin’ In the Free World, but I missed it. You can clearly see it happening on the YouTube video and he thought he cut his hand for a moment, too.

Spooner Oldham

I do wish Spooner Oldham would have gotten a chance for a song, but there wasn’t time. I was fortunate to catch a rare Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham full show at a screening of the Muscle Shoals documentary in Greensboro, North Carolina and they were fantastic!

This might be my favorite image from this set that really captures the joy of Farm Aid.

 Willie Nelson & Friends

Didn’t have a wide enough lens to capture the whole gang during the finale. What is the deal with the pineapple?

What a time to be alive!

As always my son Charles and I can’t thank Renee and Paul enough for having us at the best party of the year. Clearly, Thrashers Wheat was well represented at the Farm Aid Eve party!

“So, please farmers continue doing what you're doing and do it with all your heart, please be together and please vote for America,” Neil Young closed his portion of the Farm Aid Press conference with.

“Thank you all for coming to Farm Aid 2026,” Willie Nelson told the crowd. “We started Farm Aid forty-one years ago because we saw small family farms disappearing and we find ourselves in that situation yet again. I want to thank Neil, John, Dave for taking this ride so many years ago and to folks like Margo and Nathaniel for helping to keep it going. And I would especially like to thank Carolyn Mugar and [applause and cheering] and the whole Farm Aid staff, Glenda, Jed, Charlotte, for making us all look good and for all their outreach to farmers in need of help.

“So, thank you all who participate today with donations and tickets for helping us help those who help us all, including the planet that sustains us and again, thank you.”

 Willie Nelson & Friends

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Thanks for the report Jim!  What a great day for a great cause.

Here are are a few more Farm Aid memories with our FarmAidian friends Paul & Renee & Crew.

Photos by Jim, thrashette, others/tbd.

The legendary FarmAidian van!

Hangin' w/ Chris Pierce

On The [Virginia] Beach ...

the day after ...

See you next year FarmAidians!

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