Willie Nelson meeting Farm Aid: 'We're still in a worried situation with our farmers'
Willie Nelson country legend and a host of other artists will take to the stage in Kansas City, KS at the LIVESTRONG Sporting Park to put on Farm Aid, the longest running benefit concert series in America. It has raised over $39 million to help family farmers keep their farms and also teaching millions of people about the Good Food movement.
Farm Aid founder Nelson (pictured above at last year's Farm Aid with Aerosmith's Steven Tyler)tells the Kansas City Star, "We're still in a desperate situation with our farmers and the land and the big corporations taking over farms and ruining the soil with chemicals and pesticides. It's been going on for so long. I think the biggest problem is with politicians who either don't know about it or don't care. At one time there were more than 8 million family farms in this country. We're down to less than 2 million."
"You wish we didn't have to do it, but you're glad you are able to do it, and you're glad people are willing to help you," Nelson continues. "Over the years, literally thousands of musicians have donated their time and services to Farm Aid. This year, it's the same thing. There's a great lineup of talent from all over the world coming to play for nothing."
The lineup this year includes the annual board members who always play - Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young and Dave Matthews - plus Jason Mraz, Jamey Johnson, Jakob Dylan, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Will Dailey & the Rivals, Billy Joe Shaver, Robert Francis, Ray Price, Rebecca Pidgeon, Hearts of Darkness, John Trudell and The Blackwood Quartet.
Tickets are on sale at the official website, but if you can't make it to Kansas City, there is also going to be a webcast on the site.
