Farm Aid Virtual Concert Raises $500K for American Farmers
Farm Aid, like many festivals, has been forced to cancel their original plans due to the coronavirus pandemic, but thanks to adapting with a virtual concert, the festival managed to raise $500,000 for farmers in need in the United States.
Per Billboard, Farm Aid co-founder Willie Nelson hosted At Home With Farm Aid on AXS TV along with his sons, Lukas and Micah Nelson, on April 11. The show featured a number of at-home performances, including from the Nelsons, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews. (Videos of the performances can be viewed below.)
In a statement on the show and the money raised, Willie Nelson said, “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. 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!”
