[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 12951]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




IN RECOGNITION OF THE FARM AID 2011 BENEFIT CONCERT HELD IN SUPPORT OF 
                          AGRICULTURAL WORKERS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, August 19, 2011

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Farm Aid's 2011 
benefit concert. Each year, Farm Aid organizes a concert to bring 
together a wide variety of musicians, farmers and fans for one mission: 
``keeping family farmers on their land.''
  Farm Aid board members Willie Nelson, Neil Young, and John Mellencamp 
established the first Farm Aid concert in 1985 to educate farm owners 
about the loss of family farms and to raise funds to keep farm families 
on their land. Dave Matthews joined the Farm Aid Board of Directors in 
2001. The Farm Aid concert is the longest running benefit series 
concert in America. The organization raised more than $39 million to 
endorse a resilient family farm system of agriculture by ``promoting 
food from family farms, growing the Good Food Movement, helping farmers 
thrive, and taking action to change the system.''
  Farm Aid 2011 was held at the Livestrong Sporting Park in Kansas 
City, Kansas, on August 13th. The event showcased homegrown concessions 
featuring local, organic, or family farm sourced ingredients. The board 
members, along with other acclaimed artists, helped in promoting the 
organization and its mission of protecting family owned farms. The 
board members Willie Nelson, Neil Young, and John Mellencamp, David 
Matthews along with other artists such as Jason Mraz, Jamey Johnson, 
Jakob Dylan, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Will Dailey & the 
Rivals, Billy Joe Shaver, Robert Francis, Ray Price, Rebecca Pidgeon, 
Heart of Darkness, John Trudell, and the Blackwood Quartet gave their 
time and talent to help family farmers who are under extreme economic 
pressure.
  Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in recognizing Farm Aid 
2011 for helping family farmers thrive all over the country while 
inspiring millions of people to learn about the importance of 
maintaining family owned farms.

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