Farm Aid, the star-studded benefit concert dedicated to supporting family farmers, is returning to the Washington, D.C., area for the first time in 16 years.
Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young and Dave Matthews will headline the daylong event at Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, Va., on Sept. 17. Sturgill Simpson and Alabama Shakes are among the other artists scheduled to perform.
Matthews — who first performed at Farm Aid in 1995 and serves on its board of directors with founders Nelson, Mellencamp and Young — said the annual concert is a way to spark a broader conversation about farming and food, which is “the most important thing that we produce for each other.”
By using music and a community gathering to increase awareness of how our food is produced, Matthews believes, concertgoers will naturally become more thoughtful about their eating habits. To that end, food and concessions served at the concert will be locally sourced, and flatware will be compostable.
“The more we educate people about what they’re eating, I think, the healthier our population will be,” he said.
Nelson, Mellencamp and Young organized the first Farm Aid in 1985 in Champaign, Ill. Since then, the concert has been staged at venues all over the country, including Jiffy Lube Live (then known as Nissan Pavilion) in 1999 and 2000. The concert has raised more than $50 million over its three decade-long run.
Matthews, who was born in South Africa, has ties to Virginia: He formed his eponymous band in Charlottesville 25 years ago, and owns Blenheim Vineyards. He has donated some proceeds from previous concerts to such organizations as Local Food Hub, a Charlottesville nonprofit that connects local farms with communities, thereby increasing access to locally grown food.
Looking at the corporatization of the farming industry, Matthews acknowledged that it can sometimes seem like an “unwinnable battle.” But as the broader public grows more aware of the environmental ramifications of our food industry, Matthews has seen renewed interest in the local food movement.
“I think it’s winning if you look at the growth of it,” he said. “But it’s got a long way to go.”
This year’s Farm Aid also will feature performances by Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Margo Price, Jamey Johnson, Lukas Nelson — Willie’s son — and Promise of the Real, Carlene Carter, and Insects vs. Robots.
