November 2007 | Choice News

Farm Aid ’07 Highlights Eating Locally

Most people wouldn’t associate New York City with family farming, but that was just the point of this year’s Farm Aid concert which took place September 9 across the Harlem River from Manhattan and the Bronx on Randall’s Island.

“Some people thought that bringing Farm Aid to New York was a bold move. But there is good reason to invite urban Americans to appreciate the tastes of food grown close to home,” said Farm Aid president and founder Willie Nelson. “People can keep family farmers on the land with their good food choices.”

This year’s concert featured Farm Aid board members and concert regulars — Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews, with over 20 additional artists, including The Allman Brothers Band, Counting Crows, The Ditty Bops and Montgomery Gentry.

New this year at the concert was the introduction of the Farm Aid Snack Shack — concert concessions featuring nearly 100 percent local, organic and humanely-raised family-farm foods — making Farm Aid the first major music festival to serve local, organic and family-farm foods at its concessions, and to artists, crews and VIPs backstage.

“To bring this much local, organic and family farm food into a major concert event is an amazing accomplishment that required creativity and collaboration,” said Carolyn Mugar executive director of Farm Aid. Sonya Dagovitz Kugler of Natural Needs acted as the food forager for Farm Aid to seek out the farms and brands that met the organization’s food criteria.

Concert goers who stopped by Farm Aid’s Homegrown Village were also able to tour the interactive agricultural exhibits, experience urban agriculture and cooking demonstrations and meet some of the local family farmers who brought food to the event.

This year’s concert was another great success, with Governor Eliot Spitzer officially proclaiming September 9 Farm Aid Day in New York.

Since 1985, Farm Aid has raised over $30 million to support programs that help family farmers. For more information or to donate to Farm Aid, visit farmaid.org.

— James Faber

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