[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 124 (Thursday, September 29, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S10716]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                     FARM AID'S 20TH ANNUAL CONCERT

  Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, on Sunday, September 18, just outside of 
Chicago, Farm Aid staged its 20th annual concert, playing to a sell-out 
crowd of more than 28,000. Over the years, Farm Aid has raised more 
than $27 million to fund national, State and local efforts of various 
kinds to support and strengthen family farm agriculture and rural 
communities.
  The first Farm Aid concert, on September 22, 1985, was organized by a 
great American who is richly acquainted with the heart and soul of 
rural America, Willie Nelson. Originally conceived as a way to raise 
money to help struggling farm families, the first Farm Aid concert also 
served to highlight the crucial challenges facing family farms and 
rural communities.
  I have vivid memories of that first Farm Aid concert 20 years ago. I 
remember getting on the train in Carroll, IA, west of Ames, and riding 
it all the way to Champaign, IL. That was a trainload of people with 
high hopes and good spirits. But more important, that train was packed 
with people who understood firsthand the severity of the farm crisis, 
and who had a deep, passionate commitment to doing something about it. 
We spent the train trip discussing ideas for turning the situation 
around, and by the time we arrived in Champaign, we were fired up to 
push for big changes.
  The mid-1980s were a tumultuous time for rural America. In my own 
State of Iowa, the economic devastation experienced by family farms and 
small towns was the worst since the Great Depression. As in the 1930s, 
the human toll of the crisis was poignant and profound. There were many 
tens of thousands of people who had spent their lives working hard and 
playing by the rules, but who were losing their farms, their homes and 
their livelihoods. That affected me personally, as it did most Iowans 
and people all across America. And like so many others, I was convinced 
that we needed new ideas and better policies to save America's family 
farm agriculture and to revitalize our rural economy.
  The first Farm Aid concert drew a tremendous amount of national and 
even international attention to the crisis in rural America. Farm Aid 
opened people's eyes to the plight of family farms and small towns. It 
helped farm families directly and it led to policy changes that have 
made a positive difference.
  Family farms and rural communities are still struggling, and so Farm 
Aid is as important as ever. And in that same spirit, this year's 
concert highlighted and helped support a special Farm Aid Family Farm 
Disaster Fund to provide aid to farm families and rural communities 
that have been devastated by hurricanes across the gulf region, drought 
in the Midwest or other natural disasters elsewhere. In the tremendous 
response to the hurricanes, we have seen the same outpouring of concern 
and compassion by the American people that has supported Farm Aid over 
the years.
  I salute Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young, Dave Matthews 
and all the others who have devoted themselves to making Farm Aid a 
success in helping family farms and rural communities throughout the 
years--including David Senter, Carolyn Mugar and Corky Jones. I wish 
them and Farm Aid many more successful years supporting family farms 
and rural communities and raising awareness of their vital importance 
to us all.

                          ____________________