One of the largest music festivals in the country is returning to Indianapolis for the first time in 22 years, and music lovers all around are ready! Farm Aid is an annual music festival that changes its location around the country every year, and this year’s event expects to host 20,000 fans on September 23 at Ruoff Music Center (Deer Creek to all you older fans). Started in 1985 by Willie Nelson, Neil Young, and John Mellencamp to support farm families across the nation, Farm Aid has raised more than $70 million through its amazing lineup of artists, and this year is no exception!
Lukas Nelson
As with every Farm Aid since its inception, Willie Nelson, Neil Young, and John Mellencamp will
headline the show as the Board of Directors for the charity. In typical fashion, Willie will bring
along two of his sons, Lukas Nelson and Micah (who goes by his stage name, Particle Kid) as
performers this year. Lukas has established himself as one of the hottest names in emerging
countries and he is sure to join his brother Micah in performing a few songs with their father.
Native Hoosier John Mellencamp returns to his home state this year and fans can’t wait to hear his small-town songs we all know so well. Rounding out the headliners, Neil Young returns to Farm Aid this year after a brief hiatus following the pandemic, and his return to the stage will officially bring back the original three Board of Directors. Don’t think for a second that these are the only notable performers, as the list continues on with Farm Aid 2023 bringing an array of incredible talent together to support farms all across the country.
Joining the Board of Directors in 2001, legendary musician Dave Matthews will once again perform at this year’s Farm Aid, alongside his lead guitarist Tim Reynolds, bringing along his massive fan base to not only hear some great music, but also raise money for a great cause. Speaking of legendary musicians, Bob Weir, one of the Grateful Dead’s founding members, will be accompanied by his band Wolf Bros. this year, much to the excitement of all the Deadheads out there.
Two fantastic female singers will be joining the festivities in 2023. The great Margo Price will cover the country music scene, with the award-winning Allison Russell bringing her own beautiful Americana Roots style out to the festival this year.
Wrapping up the impressive list of notable performers will be Nathaniel Rateliff and the Nightsweats, with Rateliff as the well-known and praised lead singer, and the String Cheese Incident, a fantastic band formed all the way back in 1993 in the ski towns of Colorado.
Farm Aid 2023 as always will be a can’t miss festival with performers covering genres for all music lovers and a great day of supporting farms and farming families across the nation. We hope to see you out there for some amazing music and supporting the livelihood of the agriculture industry!
Festival Preview by Colin Kirchgessner –
INDIANAPOLIS — Farm Aid’s Music and Food Festival is returning to Noblesville, Indiana, on Saturday, Sept. 23, at Ruoff Music Center.
Farm Aid 2023 — a full day of music, family farmers, HOMEGROWN food and agrarian experiences — will feature performances by Farm Aid board members Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews (with Tim Reynolds), and Margo Price, as well as Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros featuring The Wolfpack, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Lukas Nelson, Allison Russell, The String Cheese Incident, and Particle Kid.
The festival will highlight the work of family farmers to address climate change through regenerative, organic and sustainable farming practices. Farm Aid will showcase these innovative climate champions on the Farm Aid stage and throughout the event. As farmers and farm and food advocates converge from across the country for the annual festival, Farm Aid will host additional pre-festival events to spotlight their work.
This is the third Farm Aid concert that has taken place in Indiana, and the second in Noblesville. Farm Aid IV took place at the Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis in 1990, and Farm Aid 2001: A Concert for America was held in Noblesville just weeks after the terrorist attacks of 2001.
“Family farmers have the solutions to some of our toughest challenges,” said Farm Aid President and Founder Willie Nelson. “As we face a changing climate, farmers in Indiana, across the Midwest and all over the country are farming in ways that create more resilient farms to build healthy soils and protect our water.”
Across the state, climate change has already had a considerable impact. In the coming years, climate change will shift the state to two extremes: hotter, drier summers and wetter winters and springs, creating more urgency for on-farm production practices that care for the soil and water. Indiana has the most polluted rivers and streams of any state, and almost all of Indiana’s lakes and reservoirs sampled in a recent study are unfit for drinking water. One of the main culprits is manure run-off from large-scale concentrated animal feeding operations. Many family farmers in Indiana are national leaders in implementing farming practices to mitigate climate change, including cover cropping, rotating crops, reducing soil tillage, integrating livestock and crop production, raising pastured livestock, and improving soil and water management.
“We are honored and excited to bring the Farm Aid experience back to Indiana. My home state holds deep meaning for me and for the generations of family farmers who have dedicated their lives to caring for the Earth and bringing us good food,” said Farm Aid Co-Founder John Mellencamp.
Indiana is the eighth largest farming state in the nation, generating $31.2 billion annually. Every 10 jobs directly related to Indiana agriculture support an additional eight jobs in the state. Home to 56,649 farms with an average farm size of 264 acres, there are more than 94,000 farmers in Indiana. More than 80% of land in Indiana is devoted to farms, forests and woodland. While its top crops are corn and soybeans, Hoosier farmers grow more than 30 major fruits and vegetables each year, including melons, pumpkins and mint.
Farm Aid festival attendees experience a full day of music and the taste of local flavors with Farm Aid’s HOMEGROWN Concessions®, which offer a diverse, fresh menu with ingredients that are produced by family farmers using ecological practices with a fair price paid to the farmers. Farm Aid’s HOMEGROWN Village features hands-on activities engaging festivalgoers with exhibits about soil, water, energy, food and farming.
Festivalgoers can hear farmers and artists inform and inspire on the FarmYard Stage and celebrate the knowhow and diversity of cultures of agriculture in the HOMEGROWN Skills tent.
For more information, visit FarmAid.org
