FARM AID 2007 HITS THE BIG APPLE

Farm Aid 2007 is set to hit the big apple’s Randalls Island, and Neil Young explains why it’s important for everyone in the country.

Farm Aid 2007 finally hit the Big Apple on Sunday (September 9), and it featured mainstays Dave Matthews, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Willie Nelson. Matthews played with acoustic partner Tim Reynolds, and Mellencamp brought out Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, who are husband and wife, at different points during the set. Trucks played with his own band, Mellencamp, and with The Allman Brothers. An acoustic Neil Young ran through faves “Human Highway,” “Heart Of Gold,” and “Too Far Gone.” The highlight for many was the all-star acoustic jam featuring Gregg Allman, Warren Haynes and Dave Matthews to perform a rendition of the Allman’s “Melissa.”

Trucks and a New York State farmer were asked if Farm Aid has actually made a difference in its 22 year existence.

[Farmer] “I think it’s made leaps and bounds over the last few years. It really has just by the fact that there are more and more young first generation farmers every year. We’re first generation farmers. We chose to farm on purpose, and that’s happening more and more every year. I actually think it’s getting better.” [Trucks] “As far as twenty-two years as long as they’ve been doing it. It’s constant grind. It’s the push and pull. You have to constantly fight the good fight, and it’s amazing they’ve stuck to it. That’s a long time to do anything; keep a band together, a marriage, a festival, so it’s impressive. It’s impressive they keep doing it. Just the nine years I’ve been aware of it and as long as (wife) Susan (Tedeschi) has been involved in it, it’s amazing to see the steps that they’ve made. Sometimes it’s two steps forward, one step backwards. You gotta keep plugging away.”

At the press conference earlier in the day, Matthews talked about the significance of Farm Aid coming to New York, recalling his own farming attempts in the Empire State.

“I grew up north of New York City, and one time our septic tank had problems, and then we all of the sudden had tomatoes growing out of the lawn. And the cleverest sibling, my older brother, wouldn’t eath them. The rest of us thought the tomatoes were pretty good. I think he cared a little more at that point where his food came from… It’s a true story too. My mom picked them. My belief is that, and I learned it over the years here and also from having an intelligent wife that food is fine, but food can be great. And there’s a big difference between OK food and great food.”

Farm Aid’s capacity at Randalls Island was 25,000, an an official said that attendance was very close to a sell-out. Farm Aid’s focus this year was how cities are dependent upon farms and on a way to bring locally grown family farm food to the tables of urbanites. Stay tuned in the next week for thoughts by Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, and Neil Young on the event.