Thousands of people attended an annual Farm Aid fundraiser in Virginia on Sept. 26 to support local food systems and producers.
A variety of artists, including Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp, performed at the Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheatre in Virginia Beach. Since its start in 1985, Farm Aid has raised more than $90 million to support local family farms and build a family farm-centric agricultural system in the U.S.
Carolina Reid, culinary director for Farm Aid, said it is important to urge people to make the connection between their food and the land.
“Sometimes there is a disconnect between ingredients and what we put into our bodies. And so from my role and perspective, it’s really about connecting everybody who eats to where their food is coming from. Farmers are the backbone of what we eat, everything that we do,” Reid said.
Money raised from the event goes toward resources to help strengthen family farms and create more markets where their produce can be sold, including getting more food into urban neighborhoods. Working to increase connections between the land and people is not just about what is on the dinner table. It also includes the clothes they wear.
Susan Skalak, a fiber farmer near Charlottesville and president of Chesapeake Fiber Shed, said Farm Aid is a great way to promote connection between natural fiber producers and their communities.
“Most people don’t know where fiber comes from, so it’s being able to meet somebody who actually grows the fiber and can tell you where your clothing comes from or where your food comes from and the impacts that it has and to support people who grow locally,” Skalak said.
Since its inception, a number of high-profile celebrities have joined the Farm Aid effort recently, including Margo Price and Nathaniel Ratcliffe.
