Final Thoughts From Farm Aid

The concert is over. One crew went home, the other went on its way to Maine and Nova Scotia. We’re all busy with our next shoot, but I keep replaying snippets of conversation or bits of music over and over in my head. I am so incredibly moved by everything I saw and heard. Everyone we met at the concert sincerely cared about the land they harvested and the family farm.

Most compelling were the farmers themselves. There was Walker Claridge and Kimberly Griffen who told us, “We don’t make much money, but we work hard. We get to be with each other and our son everyday and we get to grow good food.” There was Roger Allison, a man so tall I had to crane my neck and stand on tiptoe to look into his face. This big, burly farmer had nothing but grief written in eyes when he spoke of the loss of his family farm.

At the press conference Willie Nelson said, “We started out to save the family farm – now it looks like the family farm will save us.” I’ve thought a lot about that statement. We have met so many people while working on our show: farmers who just want to grow good food or create clean power; others who are just trying to make a difference in some small way. I think all those efforts are starting to add up in an enormous way. And, as all of us reach toward the land, it will be the farmer, who is there, staunchly pointing the way.

Thank You.

By Renee Bishop, Executive Producer of the Farmers’ Almanac TV show