Farm Aid Inc

Taking action to change the system - farm aid seeks to advance the power and participation of farmers to change the american farm and food system. Farm aid works with and makes grants to local, regional and national organizations to promote fair farm policies and grassroots organizing campaigns designed to defend and bolster family farm-centered agriculture. Farm aid's action center engages people to become advocates for change. The organization has worked side-by-side with farmers to protest factory farms and inform farmers and eaters about issues like genetically modified food, global trade, and industrial livestock production. Farm aid serves as a leader and contributing member of collaborative efforts to bring attention to the varied challenges faced by family farmers and to encourage collaboration and collective problem solving. Farm aid's farmer leadership fund defrays expenses for farmer leadership trainings, strategy meetings and other opportunities to elevate the voices of family farmers.

Promoting food from family farms - the heart of farm aid's work to promote food from family farms is the annual farm aid festival, america's longest running annual music event with a mission, which unites farmers, artists, music lovers and eaters to celebrate family farmers and mobilizes people to build a powerful movement for good food from family farms. The organization's annual festival features family farm food throughout the venue with farm aid's homegrown concessions, fostering strong relationships among farmers, food companies, concessionaires and festivalgoers. The homegrown youthmarket sells local produce from family farmers and is staffed by local youth engaged in agriculture. In the homegrown village, dozens of farm and food groups engage festivalgoers in hands-on experiences about farming, food, soil, water, and renewable energy. In addition to its annual festival, farm aid engages people in the culture of agriculture through smaller regional events and with its inspiring and informative social and media campaigns that connect eaters and farmers through cooking, eating, and growing. Farm aid 2024 was held at broadview stage at saratoga performing arts center in saratoga springs, new york, on september 21, with a sold out crowd of more than 21,000. In a food landscape largely controlled by corporations, farm aid 2024 showcased farmers who are creating community-based food systems that improve food access and quality, boost farmer income and local economies, and promote healthier soil and water. The farm aid 2024 stage featured farm aid board members willie nelson, john mellencamp, neil young, dave matthews (performing with tim reynolds) and margo price, as well as mavis staples, nathaniel rateliff & the night sweats, lukas nelson with the travelin' mccourys, charley crockett, joy oladokun, southern avenue, cassandra lewis, jesse welles, wisdom indian dancers and kontiwennenha:wi. Artists generously donated their performance time at the festival, an invaluable contribution that enables farm aid to raise funds in support of its mission.

Growing the good food movement (ggfm)- farm aid and its partners support and implement strategies that bolster the good food movement - the growing number of people seeking family farm-identified, local, organic or humanely-raised food with economic justice for farmers. Farm aid provides grants to grassroots organizations that foster connections between farmers and eaters by growing and strengthening local and regional markets and expanding the reach of family farm food into urban neighborhoods, grocery stores, restaurants, schools and other public institutions.