Editing Farm Aid (section)

==History==
On July 13, 1985, before performing "When The Ship Comes In" with [[Keith Richards]] and [[Ron Wood]] at the [[Live Aid]] benefit concert for the [[1983–1985 Ethiopian famine]], [[Bob Dylan]] remarked about [[family farm]]ers within the United States in danger of losing their farms through mortgage debt, saying to the worldwide audience exceeding one billion people, "I hope that some of the money ... maybe they can just take a little bit of it, maybe ... one or two million, maybe ... and use it, say, to pay the mortgages on some of the farms and, the farmers here, owe to the banks." He is often misquoted, as on Farm Aid's official website, as saying "Wouldn't it be great if we did something for our own farmers right here in America?"

Although his comments were heavily criticised, they inspired fellow musicians [[Willie Nelson]], [[John Mellencamp]] and [[Neil Young]] to organize the Farm Aid  benefit concert to raise money for and help family farmers in the United States. The first concert was held on September 22, 1985, at the [[Memorial Stadium (University of Illinois)|Memorial Stadium]] in [[Champaign, Illinois]], before a crowd of 80,000 people.<ref>{{cite book |title=Neil Young: Long May You Run|author=Daniel Durchholz, Gary Graff|page=134|publisher=Voyageur Press, 2010}}</ref> Performers included [[Bob Dylan]], [[Billy Joel]], [[B.B. King]], [[Loretta Lynn]], [[Roy Orbison]], and [[Tom Petty]], among others,<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.farmaid.org/site/c.qlI5IhNVJsE/b.2723673/k.8C39/Past_Concerts.htm |title= Past Concerts – Farm Aid |access-date= May 24, 2011 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110523191508/http://www.farmaid.org/site/c.qlI5IhNVJsE/b.2723673/k.8C39/Past_Concerts.htm |archive-date= May 23, 2011 }}</ref> and raised over $9 million for U.S. [[family farmers]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theconcertstage.com/farmaid1985.html|title=Farm Aid 1985 – Champaign, IL|work=The Concert Stage|access-date=February 15, 2011}}</ref>

Willie and the other founders had originally thought that they could have one concert and the problem would be solved, but they admit that the challenges facing family farmers were more complex than anyone realized.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.farmaid.org/blog/willie-nelson-listen-up/|title=Listen Up, Good Food Movement!|date=2015-05-20|website=Farm Aid|access-date=2019-06-20}}</ref> As a result, decades after the first show, Farm Aid, under the direction of [[Carolyn Mugar]], is still working to increase awareness of the importance of family farms, and puts on an annual concert of country, blues and rock music with a variety of music artists. The board of directors includes Nelson, Mellencamp, Young, and [[Dave Matthews]], as well as David Anderson, Joel Katz, Lana Nelson, Mark Rothbaum, and Evelyn Shriver.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.farmaid.org/about-us/board-and-staff|title=Farm Aid Board and Staff}}</ref>  On April 8, 2021, it was announced that Annie Nelson and [[Margo Price]] have joined as board members.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/margo-price-annie-nelson-join-farm-aid-board-directors-1152498/|title=Margo Price and Annie Nelson Join Farm Aid Board of Directors|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=8 April 2021}}</ref>  Board member [[Paul English (drummer)|Paul English]], who was Willie Nelson's longtime drummer, died in February 2020.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/paul-english-willie-nelson-drummer-dead-obit-951669/|magazine = [[Rolling Stone]]|title=Paul English, Willie Nelson’s Longtime Drummer, Dead at 87|date=February 12, 2020}}</ref>

The organization operates an emergency [[hotline]] that offers farmers resources and advice about challenges they're experiencing. Early on, Nelson and Mellencamp brought family farmers before Congress to testify about the state of [[family farming in America]]. Congress subsequently passed the [[Agricultural Credit Act of 1987]] to help save family farms from [[foreclosure]]. Farm Aid also operates a disaster fund to help farmers who lose their belongings and crops through natural disasters, such as the victims of [[Hurricane Katrina]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6526686|title=Farm Aid: Saving the Family Farm|work=[[Hidden Kitchens]]|publisher=[[National Public Radio]]|date=November 23, 2006|access-date=May 3, 2011}}</ref> and massive flooding in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.governing.com/topics/transportation-infrastructure/sl-states-deal-with-flood-aftermath-farmers.html|title='It Just Blows Your Mind': Midwest Farmers Suffer After Floods|website=www.governing.com|date=16 April 2019|language=en|access-date=2020-03-02}}</ref> The funds raised are used to pay the farmer's expenses and provide food, legal and financial help, and psychological assistance.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.willienelson.com/story/news-farm_aid/tornadoes_devastate_southern_farmers__you_can_help|title=Tornadoes Devastate Southern Farmers – You Can Help|date=May 2, 2011|work=Farm Aid|publisher=Willie Nelson.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110505085915/http://www.willienelson.com/story/news-farm_aid/tornadoes_devastate_southern_farmers__you_can_help|archive-date=May 5, 2011}}</ref>

The 2005 concert, marking the 20th anniversary of Farm Aid, took place at the [[Tweeter Center Chicago|Tweeter Center]] in [[Tinley Park, Illinois]], with events in downtown [[Chicago]] as well. The 2007 Concert took place at [[Randall's Island]] in New York City (the first Farm Aid in New York) and was recorded in High Definition to be broadcast on [[HDNet]] as a 2 Hour Special highlighting many of the performances from the [[Allman Brothers]] and [[Counting Crows]] to John Mellencamp and Willie Nelson.

The September 2019 lineup includes Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews and [[country music]] star [[Luke Combs]]. The concert at [[Alpine Valley Music Theatre]] was Combs' first show at Farm Aid.<ref>{{cite news |title=Luke Combs added to Farm Aid 2019 lineup at Alpine Valley Music Theatre in Wisconsin |url=https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/music/2019/07/23/luke-combs-added-farm-aid-2019-lineup-alpine-valley-wisconsin/1798204001/ |access-date=July 28, 2019 |work=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |date=July 23, 2019}}</ref>

In 2022, Farm Aid sought national recognition for the effort to encourage Americans to buy domestic beef.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Willie Nelson's Farm Aid wants you to know your "Made in USA" beef may have been raised in Brazil|work=CBS News|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/willie-nelson-farm-aid-made-in-usa-beef-neil-young-dave-matthews-margo-price/}}</ref>