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Today at 1:30 John Mellencamp will make the official announcement alongside farmers and food buyers at the Copley Square Farmers Market. Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino and Governor Deval Patrick will welcome Farm Aid co-founder John Mellencamp to New England as he announces Farm Aid 2008 Presented by Whole Foods Market and Horizon Organic will take place on Sept. 20 at the Comcast Center in Mansfield, Mass., marking the first time the organization will bring its annual benefit concert to the region.
This year's concert will feature Farm Aid Board Members Willie Nelson,John Mellencamp, Neil Young, and Dave Matthews, plus other top artists to be announced. The annual benefit concert will celebrate music and good food, featuring hands-on activities in the HOMEGROWN Village that will showcase the direct connection between who is growing our food and what we eat every day.
Farm Aid will offer special advance sale tickets to its FarmYard members. To become a member of Farm Aid’s FarmYard, visit www.farmaid.org.
Tickets for Farm Aid 2008 Presented by Whole Foods Market and Horizon Organic will go on sale July 28 at 10 a.m. EDT and are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.com, or by calling (866) 448-7849.
Check out the story in the Boston Globe today.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
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No offense to New England,but this is the 2nd year in a row it has not been near the farmland of the US. with the flooding and all, it would have been nice to have had the concert in the midwest
ReplyDeleteSorry you feel that way...but this is the first time for this concert to come to New England. There are farms and people who need this support as well. If anything I would think if would be harder for a farmer to survive in an area that isn't full of other farms then it is in farmland. We need to help every farmer large and small.
ReplyDeleteI am excited about it being in Massachusetts for the first time. I have always wanted to attend. But raising two daughters by myself for 2o years I could never afford to travel to attend the Farm Aids. Now having it in my home state I might be able to go.
ReplyDeleteI think Farm Aid is for all the farmers that need it. No matter where the concert is.
Farmaid will be anywhere, they were in Kansas for crying out loud. Hold on, they'll get there.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think they should get to Tennessee. But I don't hate.
I think it's pretty ignorant to say that Massachusetts is not near the farmland of the US. Just because it's not in the "Heartland" does not mean it's not in the farmland. Is this comment driven by the common Midwest stereotype that everything from DC to Boston is one big strip of concrete?
ReplyDeleteHaving lived in New England, the Midatlantic, and the Midwest, and having traveled coast to coast (and border to border) I can assure you that there are farms all over this big country of ours and not just in the Great Plains.
Furthermore, why not spread the word about the Midwest flooding to other parts of the country? Create a nationwide opportunity to contribute something to local relief efforts?
People working near Boston and Providence (and NY in 2007) are more likely to be able to reach into their pockets to help the cause than the poor family farmers that dominate more rural areas. Kudos to the organizers for bringing the concert (and its humanitarian mission) within reach of some of the nation's largest - and wealthiest - population centers. It's a great way to raise visibility.
Ummm...I know a lot of folks are under the impression that all of New England is a suburb of Boston, but most of our area is pretty rural, and we have lots of family farms, ranging from dairies to organic veggie farms of all sizes (mostly small-to-mid-sized). We have a proud farming heritage here - don't count us out. We weren't affected by the floods, to be sure, (and let me tell you, we have tons of sympathy for the people who were affected) but we have a lot of families in New England who are trying to hang on tooth and nail to their multi-generational dairies in the face of the threat of competition from big agribusiness. We've got farmers in need, too!
ReplyDeleteFor years I wished to be able to attend Farm Aid, but it was usually in the mid-west. Now, we New Englanders finally have an opportunity to attend and help the family farmer all over America! - Thanks Farm Aid!
ReplyDeleteHow about coming to Texas? Any plans? We're hurting down here too.
ReplyDeleteLiving in Northern New England, I've seen farm after farm disappear. I think it's great that Farm Aid chose Massachusetts, there's a market for family farm products developing here that we haven't seen in generations. Well done.
ReplyDeleteAt the press conference they indicated that 80% of MA farms are family-owned. I also have done research that shows that MA has one of the highest % of community supported agricultural farms. We can be at the forefront of the locally-grown, slow-food movement. Read Barbara Kingsolver's new book. If we eat local, we can support sustainable organic agriculture.
ReplyDeleteSeeing as the FarmAid organization was started in Boston over 20yrs ago and is still based herem it certainly seem appropriate for the concert to finally come home to Massachusetts.
ReplyDeleteI think its wonderful that Farm Aid promotes the fact that all of America is open to farming!
ReplyDeleteNo matter where you live, you should be able to support this benefit wherever it takes place. Do you really think the proceeds from this event will reach the hands of New England farmers? We are just small to medium scale farms. The mid-west farms that have seen the flooding and all will need the support the most so that's where the proceeds will go. That's the whole idea of a benefit. Sending aid where it's needed most. Please give us the opportunity to really support what we otherwise would not be able to. Let us support it and enjoy it at the same time. That's the beauty of FarmAid. Don't bite the hand that feeds you and let your neighbor love you.
ReplyDeleteI think it's wicked that Farm Aid is going to be in Boston this year. I am travelling down from Nova Scotia and can hardly wait. Joined Farm Club and have my tickets GIDDYUP!
ReplyDeleteI think it's wonderful that Farm Aid is coming to New England...I don't think people realize just how many farms we have out here. I went strawberry picking at the most amazing organic farm I'd ever seen...great berries that turned into 25 jars are jam. I'm looking forward to seeing the show and supporting farming all over the country.
ReplyDeletexD Nice joB!
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