More Farm Aid Information

The politics of food has always been one of the most controversial subjects in history. What happened to this country's small farmers by the 1980s was the eventual consequence of post WWII agricultural policies favoring the creation and expansion of large corporate factory farms. Slowly but surely over the decades, the larger farms began to eat up the land of small farmers unable to compete, or who were more vulnerable to natural disasters than their larger neighbors. Families who had lived for generations in one place were forced to leave their farms for jobs in bigger cities, at the rate of almost 400 per week. As they left for cities, local businesses and soon whole towns began to die. Farm Aid is bucking this trend.

Today, ticket holders have the satisfaction of knowing that Farm Aid gives grants to local organizations offering legal and emergency assistance to farmers. It helps groups attempting to change public policy. It supports educational initiatives to educate the public about eating fresh, organic food grown from local farmers. Its success solidifies the strong connection between entertainment and politics.