Farm Aid

09/14/2026

Forty years ago this past weekend, nearly 2,000 delegates arrived in St. Louis for an unprecedented gathering: the United Farmer and Rancher Congress.

Not long after the first Farm Aid concert raised 7 million dollars in September 1985, several movement leaders and grassroots organizations began talking about the need for a Farmers’ Congress – not only to put forward concrete proposals to help end the farm crisis, but to make a powerful show of unity.

In the midst of the farm crisis, the delegates of the United Farmer and Rancher Congress developed a participatory democracy in action.

09/13/2026

Farmhand Foundation partners with farmers and communities to strengthen ecosystems, livelihoods and market access to help build food systems rooted in care, resilience and longevity. Thank you Farmhand Foundation for being a Farm Aid 2026 sponsor!

https://www.farmhandfoundation.org/

Photo © Laurie Bonneau

09/12/2026

POV: It’s Farm Aid 1995 and John Mellencamp is performing “Hurts So Good.” Who will be there to see him perform at Farm Aid 2026? Tickets are still available!

Full performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33Gi5SAYi6g

09/10/2026

Eat local. Support farmers.

From September 19-26, we’re partnering with local businesses to serve up a Taste of Farm Aid: a week-long celebration of family farmers, local food and the people who bring it to the table.

Each participating business will feature a special menu item connected to a local farm and a portion of the sales from that item will be donated to Farm Aid.

Learn more at farmaid.org/TasteOfFarmAid

09/09/2026

If you're in town the night before Farm Aid 2026, join us for our special event — Farm Aid Family Reunion: “We the Farmers” Takeover in partnership with the 52nd Annual Virginia Beach Neptune Festival Boardwalk Weekend on Friday, Sept. 25!

We’ll build community, share music and farming stories, and dance with the crashing waves behind us. 🌊🌊

This FREE event is presented in collaboration with Smithsonian Folklife, along with Virginia is for Lovers, Visit Virginia Beach and the Virginia Department of Agriculture. RSVP today!

Our "We the Farmers" Takeover in partnership with the Neptune Festival Boardwalk Weekend will take place in Virginia Beach on Friday, September 25.

09/07/2026

Wear your support. The "Virginia is for Farm Lovers" hat — from our friends at Virginia Tourism, a proud sponsor of this year's festival — is a small way to rep the family farms, orchards and growers keeping local agriculture alive.

Grab one from Virginia is for Lovers before your next farm visit: https://virginiaisforlovers.myshopify.com/products/virginia-is-for-farm-lovers-hat

09/04/2026

Jesse Welles will be joining us again for Farm Aid 2026! Check out his performance of “Bugs” at Farm Aid 40 on our YouTube.

Tickets are still available! Get yours today at farmaid.org/tickets.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ApjlI3yofs

09/03/2026

LAST CHANCE to win a trip to Farm Aid 2026!

With your support, we've raised over $40,000 to keep farmers on the land, and there's just a few days left to help us make an even bigger impact.

Meet Nathaniel Rateliff backstage, watch Willie Nelson, Neil Young - Reprise Records, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews, Margo Price and more from the photo pit PLUS take home a The Turnpike Troubadours signed Fender guitar!

Donate now to receive 2X entries and DOUBLE your chance to win before the sweeps ends on Tuesday, September 8, 2026 at 11:59pm PT.

Enter to win and support Farm Aid: fandiem.com/farmai

09/03/2026

Wendell Berry was not only a poet, novelist and essayist — he was also a farmer. He shared Farm Aid's vision of building a vibrant, family farm-centered system of agriculture in America and a national food economy made up of many local, rural economies.

In 1995, Berry participated in Farm Aid’s Town Hall, where farmers from all over the country had a chance to speak directly to Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman and other public officials.

When Berry had the microphone, he spoke to existential dilemmas that we continue to wrestle with to this day.

The death of Wendell Berry leaves a tear in the fabric of American agriculture and rural culture. We’ll miss his voice as a passionate and creative advocate for family farms and the importance of life in rural communities across America.

09/02/2026

Industrial agriculture does not serve family farmers, our economies or public well-being.

Instead, we continue to see the negative impacts of unchecked market power and the loss of family farmers from the land.

Farm Aid works to build an agricultural system that values family farmers, good food, healthy soil and water, and strong rural communities.

Learn more about corporate control of agriculture: https://www.farmaid.org/issues/corporate-power/corporate-power-in-ag/