With the 40th anniversary of Farm Aid approaching on September 20, organizers of the event are considering the potential for relocation or cancellation in solidarity with striking workers at the University of Minnesota. In a statement shared on Instagram, they said, “Our artists, production team, and partners have made clear they will not cross the picket line.”
Farm Aid 40 is scheduled to take place a week from Saturday, at the University’s on-campus Huntington Bank Stadium. The occasion is intended to feature high-profile sets from Willie Nelson, Neil Young, Dave Matthews, John Mellencamp, Margo Price, and others.
Currently, custodial workers, food service employees, and individuals involved with campus maintenance are striking at the state’s University of Minnesota locations, after union members associated with Teamsters Local 320 rejected the parameters of a proposed contract.
Farm Aid’s post continues, “Today, the University’s Teamster employees are on strike because of the University’s inability to come back to the table to resolve this contract dispute justly.”
The statement resumes, “We are deeply concerned that this jeopardizes our ability to hold Farm Aid 40 as planned but primarily puts these workers in a place of hardship as they labor to provide the basic needs for their families. The farm and labor movements are intertwined. Time and again farmers and workers have shown up for each other in solidarity.
In conclusion, they asserted another pulse of support, “We are proud that the Teamsters support our festival each year,” before underscoring that they will not cross the picket line.
Farm Aid originated in 1985, led by Nelson, Young, and Mellencamp, who leveraged their influence to draw a crowd and raise awareness about the decline of family farms. To support those who feed the masses and keep America’s agricultural system thriving, the trio developed the concept for an annual event that provides financial benefits and gives back to family farmers.
The nonprofit organization expanded its Board of Directors with Matthews’ arrival in 2001, and two decades later, in 2021, Price joined the elite team. Since its launch, Farm Aid has garnered $80 million, according to the official website, “to promote a strong and resilient family farm system of agriculture. Farm Aid is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to build a vibrant, family farm-centered system of agriculture in America.”
Historically, Farm Aid has been known to make a musical impression with long-lasting effects for fans seeking something outside the regular concert expectations. Examples include the Grateful Dead’s 1987 performance via satellite feed and, more recently, Bob Dylan’s second-ever appearance at the event, which doubled as a surprise 2023 set supported by members of the Heartbreakers.
In 2024, the headliners above performed, as well as Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Mavis Staples, Lukas Nelson with The Travelin’ McCourys, Charley Crockett, Joy Oladokun, Southern Avenue, Cassandra Lewis, Jesse Welles, Wisdom Indian Dancers, and Kontiwennenha:Wi.
For more information, visit www.farmaid.org.
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