True confession here: Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Sure, it’s probably the food. Then again, maybe it’s the family time. It’s definitely the fact that there aren’t any presents to stress about. For those of us fortunate enough to have them, the day centers around acknowledging and giving thanks for two simple gifts: spending time with family (or other people we love), and enjoying a wholesome meal.
We all bring our own traditions to this day, whether it be a favorite family recipe, sports event, parade or movie that we watch together. A few years ago, I started one of my own to get me in the giving thanks mood. Now when I get up that Thursday morning, I pour myself a strong cup of coffee, light a gentle fire, and spend a half hour or so donating to the organizations that I believe in (another confession: Farm Aid is one of ‘em). It makes me feel a lot better than after Black Friday or Cyber Monday shopping and it helps me put my budget in perspective. In fact, I often donate as a gift in honor of the people I love.
While I’m trying to convert friends and family to my new tradition, there’s another option this time of year. You may have heard about #GivingTuesday which occurs on November 27 this year – the day after Cyber Monday. It’s a global day to celebrate the value of generosity by setting aside some of that gift-getting money to support the organizations you believe in.
Our Goal on #GivingTuesday
Will you join us this #GivingTuesday? Farm Aid cannot strengthen family farmers and build the movement for family farm food without the generosity of people like you.
Our goal is to raise $15,000 on November 27, and we can only reach our goal with your help. Let’s show family farmers how much we appreciate the hard work they do for us.
A group of big-hearted Farm Aid donors have pledged to match donations up to the first $7,000 raised on #GivingTuesday.
Now, when you give a gift to support family farmers it will have double the impact thanks to these incredible supporters who are kick-starting Farm Aid’s #GivingTuesday campaign: Tim Bucher, Travis Webb, Yan Besner and Randy Poe.
Here’s a little bit more about why they support Farm Aid in their own words:
“I support Farm Aid because I believe we need family farmers in business in order to keep the good food movement going and growing. We need more quality, local foods and the best way to get that is by supporting the family farmers in our area.”
– Tim Bucher
“Every year around this time, millions of Americans reflect on their lives and the world around them. We reflect on our problems but also give thanks for the blessings that have been bestowed upon us. One of the greatest blessings in my life has been the opportunity to grow up on a family farm. My parents still live on that farm, and each year I cherish the time that I can bring my two sons to the Central Illinois homestead to experience the connection with the land and the animals of our heritage. The hard work of my youth sticks out in my mind, but it is precisely that hard work that has given me so many good memories and made me who I am.
When I became a part of the Farm Aid family several years ago, I was welcomed into an incredible community of people committed to helping family farmers succeed in this turbulent world. Life has changed on family farms since I grew up there, but the love of the land and the freedom of working in the fields and barns is still powerful and draws people of strength and courage to carry on the task of feeding our world. I am proud to support the great work of the Farm Aid organization, and I hope others will feel the same.”
– Travis Webb
“Farm Aid is special to me on a deeply personal level. As a parent, the health of our food system is very important to me. Seeing firsthand the very real struggle that family farmers face, I’m inspired to continue to support Farm Aid in any way that I can. As a member of the Development Advisory Council at Farm Aid, I’ve gotten to know the staff and have been infected by their relentless dedication and brilliance. I am proud to work alongside them for a food system we can all believe in. As John says time and again, as long as we still are eating, Farm Aid will keep working.
On #GivingTuesday, I’m asking you to join me in giving a gift to Farm Aid, which I’m proud to help match. Together, we’ll find solutions to the issues family farmers face every day.”
– Yan Besner
“I have been a fan and supporter of this organization since watching the very first Farm Aid concert on TV in 1985. My grandfather was a farmer in Alabama. Many friends I grew up with in the South had family farms. My childhood memories include spending days on those family farms, helping to milk the cows and collect the eggs. I remember how tomatoes used to taste when they were still grown without large amounts of fungicides, pesticides, and herbicides. I remember drinking milk when there was still cream at the top of the glass.
Change for the better is always good, but not all change is for the better. Changing the American food system based primarily on yield and corporate greed is one of the greatest disservices being done to the American people.
We still have a long way to go, but I have hope that the day will come when those who have never had the chance will finally be able to experience what tomatoes, corn, squash, chicken, beef, pork, and milk are supposed to taste like. Corporate farms can’t provide those things. Those things can only come from American family farmers. How could anyone not want to become involved in an organization like Farm Aid?”
– Randy Poe
Make A Difference
How can YOU join in on #GivingTuesday to make a difference in the lives of family farmers and everyone who eats?
- Make a gift to Farm Aid – today, on Thanksgiving, or help us reach the match challenge on #GivingTuesday
Mark your calendar or download this helpful reminder so you don’t forget!
- Spread the Word
Want to see your good deed go even further? Help us get the word out on social media! Post your favorite food and farm photos or tell people why you love Farm Aid and use the hashtags #GivingTuesday and #FarmAid.
- Eat Well, Do Good
Finally, don’t forget to share your support of family farmers every day by eating good food grown in your community!
Please help us reach our goal! And thank you for your continued support.
