Farm Aid 2025 was a celebration of 40 years of solidarity with the independent farmers across America who too often go without appreciation. This was, notably, the first Farm Aid concert held in Minnesota – a state ranked 5th in the country for agricultural production and with 65,000 farms (85% of which are family-owned).
For the past four decades, NFFC and Farm Aid have worked closely together to achieve a shared vision: a food and farm system that fairly and wholly supports the independent farmers who put food on our tables. The first Farm Aid concert launched in 1985, in the middle of a farm crisis that strained rural America to its breaking point. Willie Nelson, Neil Young, and John Mellencamp shared the bill with dozens of great musicians. As a result, $7 million was raised to benefit family farmers. We are honored to be among the first organizations to receive these funds. Thanks to Farm Aid, our farmer-led coalition was able to hit the ground running.
The need for organizations like NFFC and Farm Aid is as crucial as ever. Despite the continuing challenges facing independent farmers, including record-high farm debt and price volatility, the family farm movement is alive and well. The movement continues to gain the power needed to doggedly fight the relentless pressure of corporate domination.
Farm Aid’s role in our movement reaches far beyond direct support to farmers. Just a week before this year’s festival, Farm Aid risked it all to stand in solidarity with striking workers, refusing to cross the picket line during the Teamsters Local 320 strike at the University of Minnesota. The farm and labor movements have a long history of supporting each other – Minnesota was the first state to form the Farmer-Labor party, adding an ever deeper layer of local historical context. Farm Aid’s refusal to cross the picket line, even if it meant canceling, added pressure for the University of Minnesota to reach a fair agreement. This was a true demonstration of what can be accomplished when we stand together for the sake of worker justice. We are grateful to Farm Aid for leading by example.
NFFC brings our members with us to Farm Aid each year in appreciation of our longstanding partnership, and with the recognition that the challenges of family farming often come with feelings of isolation, loss, and hopelessness. Farm Aid is an opportunity for our farmer members to connect with others in solidarity, and a rare chance to relax for a day without the pressures of the farm on their mind. Given the intertwined history of NFFC and many of our member organizations, dozens of NFFC members attend the festival each year to celebrate victories and strategize how to overcome roadblocks with allies, to amplify their work through Farm Aid’s Homegrown Village, and to sell (and enjoy) Patchwork Family Farms pork. This year, we took the opportunity of all being in one place to host an NFFC gathering for over 50 of our members, representing half of the organizations in our coalition! Farmers, fishers and advocates who might never cross paths from Kentucky and Vermont, Texas and Missouri ate pizza together in a pollinator garden, sharing stories and strategies.
Although most people only know about the day-long concert, the days leading up to the Farm Aid festival are just as packed and eventful.
For us, the events began on Thursday with informal gatherings and farm tours capped by the Color Me Country concert and a pizza party for our members and allies.
Friday’s Farmer Forum is always inspiring, and this year was no different as it centered around Seeding Democracy – a perfect and timely topic. At the Forum we heard from farmers, advocates, and state legislators about their efforts to build a thriving food and farm system centered around justice. The keynote was provided by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, a powerful force who emphasized the crucial responsibility of elected officials and of individuals to hold corporate actors accountable for their actions. Senator Amy Klobuchar also provided video remarks – check that out on YouTube here.
The festival itself on Saturday is always a whirlwind experience! Here, solidarity and accountability were also major topics – Neil Young called for a conscience tax paid by corporate billionaires to compensate farmers suffering under their business practices and control; Margo Price reminded us that “hope is an act of resistance”; and Madeline Edwards took to the FarmYard Stage to rally support for the young and beginning farmers building resilience against all odds. This year, five of our members hosted HomeGrown Village tables to educate visitors on a wide ranging swath of topics including water quality, environmental harms of factory farming, the business of farmer’s markets, and more. A day full of music, good food, and friends – what more could you ask for?
As NFFC looks forward to our own 40th anniversary just over the horizon in 2026, this Farm Aid reminded us of the determination and breadth of our coalition, moving together towards our goal – ensuring that our food and farm system is rooted in people, not profits, and food sovereignty. With this spirit, we wish Farm Aid a happy 40th anniversary and look forward to our future work and accomplishments in the years ahead!
