It was 34 years ago that Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp came together in Champagne, IL, for the first Farm Aid. Responding to the rise in bankruptcies and foreclosures of family farms in the 80s, they wanted to raise awareness and funds to help farmers in crisis. Over the decades, Farm Aid has grown into an organization providing financial and informational resources to help keep generational farming families on the land.
This mission is shared by Shenandoah Valley Organic (SVO), a second-year sponsor and supplier of organic chicken for Homegrown Concessions at the Farm Aid festival. SVO’s Farmer Focus brand is a manifestation of Farm Aid’s ongoing mission to raise up the family farmer in an environment of continued consolidation at the top. SVO is disrupting the industry by championing the changes that Farm Aid advocates for, including increased market transparency, an end to the tournament system, and establishing fair contracts.