NEW YORK—Featuring big names like Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews, and Neil Young, Farm Aid 2007 is scheduled for the first time in New York City. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Farm Aid founders and performers Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp last Monday announced that Farm Aid 2007 will take place on Randall's Island in the East River on September 9. The annual benefit concert is coming to New York to raise funds to support family farming and promote food from family farms.
"Each Farm Aid artist comes to the show and donates their performances because they know that family farmers are America's best source for our food and renewable energy and the best protectors of our soil and water," said Farm Aid Executive Director Carolyn Mugar in a press release.
Farm Aid's mission is to build a vibrant family farm-centered system of agriculture in America. Since 1985, Farm Aid has raised over $30 million to support programs that help farmers thrive.
"Things change when we all take personal responsibility for our food and where it comes from," said Mellencamp.
The concert fits right in with Mayor Bloomberg's recent trend of going green and making New York City more environmentally friendly. Last December, Bloomberg announced PlaNYC, a sweeping plan of 127 proposals for making New York City more sustainable and less polluted by 2030—including converting the city's yellow taxi fleet to hybrid fuel vehicles by 2012 and instituting an $8 charge on driving in the city during the day.
In addition to hosting Farm Aid, Mayor Bloomberg said, "We are also going to further support farmers through our plan to increase our use of biofuel, a greener, cleaning burning fuel that will help us achieve our goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2030."
The switch will improve air quality by releasing significantly less pollutants into the air and support family farmers because soybean and corn-based biofuel gives farmers another market for their products.
Farm Aid has also partnered with the City's Greenmarket program. Brining fresh local produce to New Yorkers, the greenmarkets support roughly 180 local farmers at 47 locations throughout the City.
Feeds