Farm Aid’s 30th anniversary concert in downtown Chicago brought 27,000 people together to celebrate the progress that has been made for family farmers since 1985 and to emphasize the importance of the Good Food Movement. At the concert, Farm Aid reaffirmed its commitment to creating a future of family farm agriculture.
The music on the stage featured Farm Aid board members Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young and Dave Matthews, along with Imagine Dragons, Jack Johnson, Mavis Staples, Kacey Musgraves and many more.
“When we started Farm Aid, a crisis was gripping farm country. Farm Aid called on America to stand up for family farmers. They showed up then, and they’re still showing up. All different types of people are coming together for family farmers, and we’re making a difference.” — Willie Nelson
Concertgoers visited the HOMEGROWN Village, taking part in hands-on experiences that informed people of farm and food issues affecting family farmers and the food we eat. Farm Aid’s HOMEGROWN Concessions® satisfied the crowd with family farm food, including local roasted corn, pasture-raised pork barbecue, bánh mì-style chicken sandwiches, and fresh fruits and vegetables sold in the HOMEGROWN Youthmarket.
The Reviews Are In…
Here are a just a few of the reviews published about Farm Aid 30:
- 15 Best Things We Saw At Farm Aid 2015 — Rolling Stone
- 10 Farm Aid 30 Takeaways: From Imagine Dragons’ Tent Show to Kacey Musgraves’ Kick-Ass Cover — Billboard
- Farm Aid 30’s Powerful Lessons About Family Farmers’ Challenges — Good Food on Every Table
- Food and farming’s widening gap — Globe Gazette
- Farm Aid Through the Eyes of One Farmer: Joel Greeno — SamaritanMag.com
Farm Aid 30 Videos
Watch videos below to relive your favorite memories or share with friends and family who weren’t able to make it to Chicago.
Willie Nelson
Neil Young
John Mellencamp
Dave Matthews with Tim Reynolds
Imagine Dragons
Jack Johnson
Kacey Musgraves
Jamey Johnson
Old Crow Medicine Show
Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real
Holly Williams
Ian Mellencamp
The Blackwood Quartet
Farm Aid 30 Press Event
Watch the press event held on the morning of Farm Aid 30 before musicians took the stage to perform. Monica Eng, WBEZ radio’s food and agriculture correspondent, hosted a conversation from the Farm Aid stage about the roots of the family farm movement and the future of family farm agriculture.
Here are highlights from the press event:
Speakers at the press event include:
- Monica Eng, Moderator
- Willie Nelson, Farm Aid president
- Neil Young, Farm Aid board
- John Mellencamp, Farm Aid board
- Dave Matthews, Farm Aid board
- Carolyn Mugar, Farm Aid executive director
- Corky Jones, Nebraska farmer and farm activist
- Darius Jones, Chicago farmer
- Mona Lee Brock, Farm advocate, Oklahoma
- Joe Schroeder, Farm advocate, Kentucky
- Lynn Hayes, Farmers Legal Action Group, Minnesota
- Leslie Touzeau, farmer and founder of Missouri chapter of National Young Farmers Coalition
- Patrick Stall, Member of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement
- Rosario Maldonado, Chicago farmer and food activist
“Thanks to 30 years of action by farmers, activists and eaters, we’ve experienced big change, and we’re poised for more. But we’re up against some of the same policies and corporate influences that gave rise to the need for Farm Aid in 1985. Now, more than ever, we are rallying to put power, and our food system, into the hands of the people.” — Carolyn Mugar
The HOMEGROWN Village
Explore the HOMEGROWN Village to see how people learned about farm and food issues at the concert:
Farm Aid 30 Photos
Check out our gallery of photos from Farm Aid 30 below. Photos © Paul Natkin/Photo Reserve, Inc, except Ian Mellencamp and John Mellencamp photos © Brian Bruner.
