Farm Aid turned 40 this year: U.S. farmers still need the concert to raise public awareness and financial support

John Cougar Mellencamp performs at the first Farm Aid concert in Champaign, Ill., on Sept. 22, 1985.
 (Photo by Seth Perlman, The Associated Press via The Daily Yonder)

Farm Aid began as a mega-concert event in 1985, featuring the likes of Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and John Cougar Mellencamp, who performed to raise awareness and funding for American farmers in crisis. The musical event, which turned 40 this year, spurred a homegrown tradition that recognizes the struggles American farmers face to stay afloat. "Farmers need just as much support now as they did 40 years ago," reports Claire Carlson of The Daily Yonder. 

Held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Farm Aid 2024 provided an opportunity for farmers and their families to connect with others who are also trying to survive the "difficulties of competing with large-scale agriculture, the disconnect between producers and consumers, and the vanishing federal support as some of the most pressing challenges facing farmers today," Carlson writes.

Jesse Womack, a policy specialist at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, told Carlson, "This is not a favorable economic time for producers, period. We are watching a lot of our leaders in this country totally ignore how difficult producers have it right now and really neglect their duty to make tools and services readily available and easy to use for producers."

In addition to this year's performances, a "separate corner of the arena hosted booths for farmer advocacy organizations that spoke on topics like factory farming and regenerative agriculture," Carlson writes.

During the concert, Farm Aid T-shirts and food sales highlight all things American-grown and made in the USA. Carlson adds, "The sales of these items and the festival tickets go to Farm Aid initiatives like their Distressed Borrowers Assistance Network and Family Farm Disaster Fund."

Many U.S. producers are anxious for Congress to pass a new Farm Bill, but "farmer advocacy organizations have been critical of the proposals they’ve seen," Carlson reports. "The Farm Bill, which authorizes federal spending on agricultural and food programs, is two years past its expiration date."

Farm Aid photos, swag and information about performances can be found here.