Farm Aid was founded by Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, and Neil Young back in 1985 to raise money for farmers in need.
The COVID-19 outbreak is hitting hard, and to no surprise, Farm Aid have announced this year’s show, and it’s taking place this weekend.
Willie Nelson, Neil Young, and John Mellencamp are bringing back Farm Aid this coming Saturday with a digital event, dubbed At Home With Farm Aid.
At 86 years old, Nelson is showing no signs of slowing down. The country singer best-known for his 1993 album Shotgun Willie, and his famous beat-up guitar Trigger, is hosting another Farm Aid. The festival hasn’t missed a year since 1991, so it was unlikely that coronavirus would put a stop to it.
The slightly altered event, called At Home With Farm Aid, will be hosted digitally on Saturday, April 11th at 8 pm ET. You’ll be able to catch performances from Young, Mellencamp, and Dave Matthews, as well as Nelson himself, on the Farm Aid website. Due to coronavirus restrictions, the artists will all be performing from their homes.
Nelson is no stranger to hosting events digitally. On March 19, the singer hosted Luck Presents: ‘Till Further Notice boasting performances from the likes of Paul Simon, and many more. It was one of the first COVID-19 era concerts and no doubt inspired many other artists to host similar events.
In a statement, Nelson revealed why he is supporting farmers in this time:
“Farm Aid is working hard to support farmers and ranchers in this difficult time. We’re making emergency grants to help with household and medical expenses. We’re answering calls on our hotline. We’re creating lists of resources and working with our partners to advocate for policies that build a more resilient food system for the future.”
It’s a great cause to support, and well worth tuning in when the festival goes live. I’ll see you there.
