It
WAS AN EARLY MORNING in
June 2018 when Connecticut farmer Tom Truelove woke his wife, Alana. A really early morning. He’s usually up and working before the sun comes up. Alana, working as a psychotherapist from 9-5, five days per week, is usually not. “It was Tom’s reaction to what he was reading that got me up,” Alana explains. “He was so excited, and shouting things like, ‘What? WHAT? I can’t believe
it! Farm Aid is coming to Connecticut! We have to write to them right now.’ We were at the computer in no time and emailing Farm Aid. I’d never been so excited to be woken up before dawn.” Every year since its inception in 1985, Farm Aid has held a music festival to raise funds that support their year-round work for American farmers - but as attendees can testify, it’s so much more than music. Established by Farm Aid, “a nonprofit organization whose mission is to keep
family farmers on the land,” the festivals by the same name bring farmers and concerned citizens together; provide meaningful opportunities for unity and discussion among farmers; and promote food from family farms. While the organization focuses on fundraising, advocacy and strengthening relationships between farms and their communities, Farm Aid is perhaps best known for its festivals that feature musicians with a passion for helping farmers, like board
members Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews. A number of Farm Aid festivals have been in the Northeast, but not in Connecticut, so it was big news that Farm Aid 2018 would be held at Hartford’s Xfinity Theatre on September 22. All 24,000 festival tickets sold quickly, and there were thousands of others who participated in the festival by volunteering or donating products. All those thousands of people had personal
“EVERY YEAR SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 1985, FARM AID HAS HELD A MUSIC FESTIVAL TO RAISE FUNDS THAT SUPPORT THEIR YEAR-ROUND WORK FOR AMERICAN FARMERS...”
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CT FOOD & FARM / WINTER 2019
