This year’s edition of Farm Aid is a long way away, but that didn’t stop Willie Nelson from gathering his pals and family to get ahead of the show.
This Saturday (April 11), Nelson summoned Neil Young, Dave Matthews, John Mellencamp and his sons, Lukas and Micah, for a special performance. It will take place starting at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT on AXS TV.
The hour-long event intimate performance (from each artist’s respective quarantine) to raise funds and awareness for farmers impacted by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
For more than three decades, Farm Aid has worked diligently to build a dynamic family farm-centered agricultural system benefiting farms both big and small. Now, with COVID-19 presenting farmers across the country with a new set of challenges to overcome, Farm Aid is responding immediately to invest in farmer-led solutions to the COVID-19 crisis; make emergency grants to farmers and ranchers in need; create comprehensive resources for farmers; connect farmers to legal, financial, and mental health support resources; support local, state, and national farm organizations; and advocate for COVID-19 recovery funds and resources from the federal government for short-term relief and long-term resilience.
“The coronavirus has disrupted our entire country and is a grave threat to all of us. One of its many impacts is that it has helped us to better see the value of essential people like healthcare workers, grocery store clerks, delivery truck drivers, and farmers and ranchers,” Nelson said in a statement. “Farm Aid has worked for 35 years to build a family farm centered agricultural system, and we are here now to support farmers and ranchers in this crisis, without whom we could not eat. The time to build a resilient family farm food system is now!”
If you’d like to donate to Farm Aid, you can do so here.
