Farm Aid to Mark 25th Anniversary in Milwaukee

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Aug 02, 2010, 12:00 ET

Board Members Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young and Dave Matthews to headline Oct. 2 all-star music and food festival

MILWAUKEE, Aug. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Farm Aid took to the field today to reveal details about its 25th anniversary benefit concert, scheduled for Oct. 2 at Miller Park in Milwaukee.

Farm Aid founders Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp joined executive director Carolyn Mugar by webcast at an on-field news conference at the home of the Milwaukee Brewers to reveal details about the all-day music festival that will mark their 25th year.

"For 25 years, Farm Aid has worked to keep family farmers on the land," said Nelson. "This anniversary concert is a chance for everyone to join with Farm Aid to support the family farmers who are growing hope for America, through the good food they produce, the economies they build, and their care for the soil and water. Family farmers are the backbone of our country, and right now we need them more than ever."

Mellencamp shared why Milwaukee is a perfect place to celebrate Farm Aid's silver anniversary.

"Midwest farmers share the same struggle as family farmers across the country. They are survivors, and they're on the land creating solutions for America's most pressing issues," said John Mellencamp from his home-state of Indiana. "Since 1985, Farm Aid has been a way for everyone in this country to step up and be part of the solution, because nobody is going to solve these problems on their own. It's going to take all of us working together."

Farm Aid 25: Growing Hope for America will feature Nelson, Mellencamp, and fellow Farm Aid board members Neil Young and Dave Matthews, with other top artists to be announced. The show will be broadcast live on DirecTV.

The all-day festival will be a celebration of music, family farmers and good food and will again feature HOMEGROWN concessions—family-farm identified, local and organic foods. Farm Aid's HOMEGROWN Village will showcase hands-on activities that give concertgoers a chance to meet farmers, get their hands dirty, and learn how family farmers are protecting our land and water and connecting us to our roots.

"Today's headlines are dominated by the immense challenges we face right now as a result of unbridled corporate control, from our economy to the destruction of the environment and our health. None of these problems will be solved without family farmers," said Farm Aid executive director Carolyn Mugar. "For twenty-five years Farm Aid has helped family farmers stay on the land so that they can be our country's resource to address these crises."

Set to take place at Miller Park, Farm Aid 25: Growing Hope for America will be the first Farm Aid concert to be held at a Major League Baseball stadium.

"We're excited to be hosting Farm Aid in this special anniversary year," said Rick Schlesinger, the Milwaukee Brewers' executive vice president of business operations. "With Wisconsin's prominence in the agriculture and farming industries, plus Milwaukee's storied history in hosting music festivals, we believe there is no better place for this concert to be staged."

Also appearing at the news conference were John Kinsman, president, Family Farm Defenders and Wisconsin dairy farmer; and Will Allen, founder and CEO, Growing Power, Inc.

Tickets for Farm Aid 25: Growing Hope for America will go on sale Saturday, August 14, at 9 a.m. CDT and are available at the Brewers box office, by phone at (414) 902-4000 or online at www.tickets.com. Ticket prices range from $39.50 to $97.50, including facility fee.

Farm Aid will offer special advance sale tickets to Farm Aid members beginning Friday, August 6. To become a Farm Aid member, visit www.farmaid.org.

Farm Aid 25: Growing Hope for America sponsors include Horizon Organic, Silk Soymilk, DirecTV and Organic Valley. Prospective sponsors may contact Dennis Gorg at [email protected] for more information.

Farm Aid's mission is to build a vibrant, family farm-centered system of agriculture in America. Farm Aid artists and board members Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews host an annual concert to raise funds to support Farm Aid's work with family farmers and to inspire people to choose family farm food. Since 1985, Farm Aid, with the support of the artists who contribute their performances each year, has raised more than $37 million to support programs that help farmers thrive, expand the reach of the Good Food Movement, take action to change the dominant system of industrial agriculture and promote food from family farms.

SOURCE Farm Aid