Farm Aid Returns to New England & Hartford Hosts

HARTFORD, CT — Willie Nelson and his pals Neil Young, Dave Matthews and John Mellencamp present Farm Aid at the XFINITY Theatre in Hartford on Saturday, Sept. 22. The annual benefit aimed at supporting family farmers includes Chris Stapleton, Sturgill Simpson, Kacey Musgraves, Margo Price, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real and Particle Kid. Farm Aid revisits New England which last hosted the festival in 2008.

Connecticut hosts Farm Aid for the first time this year. Our state is home to about 6000 family farms. New England is home to some of the oldest and most established farms in the United States. Since 1985 Farm Aid has provided various tools and assistance to our farmers which has resulted in the rise of more sustainable farming methods. Over the next few months leading up to Farm Aid, I will feature New England farmers, chefs and agricultural organizations. Many family farms have adopted practices that allow the delivery of healthy and wholesome food to the members of their communities. Farm Aid and its partner organizations served as a catalyst that sparked the farm to table movement where organic and biodynamic farming methods are valued. Its only fitting that we tip our hat to those committed to providing high quality clean food that is sourced locally to mitigate environmental impacts.

The music is always first rate at Farm Aid but if you attend be sure to check out the Homegrown Village. The Village offers an opportunity to interact with family farmers to discover some of the amazing offerings your local farms may have. Local farms often sell prepared foods, local honey, grass fed meat, eggs from free range chickens. A select number of farms even rent chickens seasonally, so you may harvest your own eggs. The Homegrown Village presents an opportunity for families to start a dialog with their children about healthy eating, the environment and opportunities in agriculture as a career.

Please check The Lymes section of The Patch for my series on Farm Aid. If you or your organization contribute in some way to the supply chain of clean and sustainable food in New England contact me at jcbc93@gmail.com .

About Jim Carty: Mr. Carty has produced and hosted blues, jazz and American roots radio shows in Boston and Pittsburgh. He booked legendary acts such as Jay Geils, Big Jack Johnson, Ronnie Earl, Alvin "Youngblood" Hart, Steady Rollin' Bob Margolin to name a few. As a concert producer he has worked with members of the Allman Brothers, Guns and Roses, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bad Company, Chuck Berry, Alice Cooper, Kiss and many others. Jim was proudly tapped as the host of the Centennial Celebration of the Blues at Tanglewood. He spent several years as an Old Lyme resident in his youth and he has recently returned home to the Connecticut Shoreline.