DAVE MATTHEWS GETS HANDS DIRTY AT FARM AID 2006

(VIDEO) Dave Matthews talks about owning his own farm and how cool it is for young people to choose farming as a profession.

Dave Matthews has been a member of the Farm Aid clan since the 1990s, and he’s an official board member. Matthews has gone one step further than his seniors and Farm Aid founders Willie Nelson, Neil Young, and John Mellencamp. He actually owns a farm.

Matthews talked about what goes on at the farm in his home of Virginia.

“We’ve got some land in Virginia and I’ve got some young farmers that are working on the land and they love and the community — it’s sort of a CSA but we’ll talk later — but watching people…. I’m traveling around on the road, but getting to see farmers look the way they should, in the field and loving the land and producing food that’s delicious. That’s something that really is not common. I think that a lot of people don’t realize that that’s not the common…That’s not what’s happening. A lot of the food…There’s a giant machine spinning around and scooping up the land and poisoning the planet to produce substandard food.”

Matthews added that he’s always happy to see young people get involved in the farming profession.

“It’s very inspiring to see young people go into farming. I think it’s unbelievable becasue there’s a vision and there’s a possiblity. There’s not a broken heart. I think what’s happened to a lot of farming families. They’ve had, they’re voiceless and they’ve had their hearts broken by it and their pockets broken by it, a very cruel silence that they’re forced into. So it’s inspiring to see young people saving our food and saving our communities and also saving the planet. All the things that we should be most concerned about I think small farms, and family farms, and young farms are the solution to it.”

Matthews played sans his band, communicating with just his voice and a guitar. Matthews next festival gig is at Vegoose the last weekend of October, and he’ll pair with longtime musical partner Tim Reynolds.