In a food system heavily influenced by corporations, Farm Aid 2024 shone a spotlight on farmers who are actively creating community-based food systems. Held at the sold-out Broadview Stage at Saratoga Performing Arts Center, this year’s festival brought together a diverse group of farmers and food producers who are dedicated to developing a more democratic farm and food system that is healthy, safe, equitable, and accessible to all.
The event served as a platform to highlight the challenges faced by farmers and the crucial role they play in their communities. Farm Aid’s leadership and artist board members, including Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young, Dave Matthews, and Margo Price, emphasized the resilience and generosity of these producers, urging the country to work together to counter the dominance of corporations in the food system.
“Farmers are doing right by their communities, just as they always have,” said Farm Aid President and Founder Willie Nelson, “but if we’re going to get the food system we need, we all have to work together to support their efforts.”
Leading up to the festival, the Farm Aid team conducted listening sessions with rural residents, family farmers, farm advocates, labor leaders, and community organizers. These sessions culminated in a daylong forum where participants developed strategies to build community power, address misinformation about farming and rural America, and foster partnerships between rural and urban areas to create a more equitable system for farmers, workers, and consumers.
“There are multiple injustices embedded in our farm and food system, but we’ve learned from so many other movements that people overcome injustices only if we demand and create a different path forward,” stated Farm Aid Executive Director Carolyn Mugar.
The festival also celebrated local and regional community members with the Spirit of Farm Aid award, recognizing their dedication to the organization and family farmers. Awardees included John Huff, Carl Fiorentino, Bob Lewis, Tom Strumolo, Gio Edwards, Elizabeth Ryan, and Anne and Derek Bedarf.
Beyond the musical performances, the event offered a hands-on experience with Farm Aid’s HOMEGROWN Village. Festivalgoers participated in activities focused on climate, soil, water, energy, food, and farming. Attendees learned about identifying wild plants beneficial to the local habitat, exploring cover crops, interacting with heritage breed livestock and poultry, and much more.
The FarmYard Stage provided a platform for artists and farmers to discuss critical issues such as food access, soil health, and climate change. Farm Aid’s HOMEGROWN Concessions® served food throughout the venue, using ingredients sourced from family farmers who utilize ecological production practices and receive fair prices. The diverse menu, featuring locally sourced and organic ingredients, offered a range of options including stuffed russet potatoes, curried chicken salad sandwiches, beef on weck, pork chop sandwiches, cold soba noodles, grilled street corn, burgers, hot dogs, and sausages. Desserts included fruit hand pies, cookies, ice cream sandwiches, and fresh apples and plums.
Farm Aid 2024 was livestreamed on FarmAid.org and Farm Aid’s YouTube channel. SiriusXM subscribers could listen to the entire festival on SiriusXM’s Willie’s Roadhouse (channel 61) and Dave Matthews Band Radio (channel 30) through SiriusXM radio and the SiriusXM app. The live coverage included backstage interviews with artists and family farmers, hosted by SiriusXM’s Dallas Wayne, Ari Fink, and Joey Black. This marked the 15th year that SiriusXM has carried the show on satellite radio.
Farm Aid 2024 was supported by a number of sponsors, including Tractor Beverage Co., Patagonia Workwear, Organic Valley, REI Co-op, Taste NY, Native American Agriculture Fund, and Frontier Co-op.
On Saturday, Farm Aid launched its annual online memorabilia auction, giving collectors and fans the opportunity to bid on rare and unique items, including guitars from Gibson and Epiphone, posters, books, albums, art, and other memorabilia signed by artists at Farm Aid 2024. The auction, hosted at farmaid.org/auction, will close on Friday, October 4th. All proceeds from the sale of items support Farm Aid’s mission.
Farm Aid’s mission is to build a vibrant, family farm-centered system of agriculture in America. The organization, with the support of its artist board members Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews, and Margo Price, hosts an annual festival to raise funds for family farmers, inspire people to choose family farm food, and promote food from family farms. For over 35 years, Farm Aid, with the support of the artists who contribute their performances each year, has raised nearly $80 million to support programs that help farmers thrive, expand the reach of the Good Food Movement, take action to change the dominant system of industrial agriculture, and promote food from family farms.
