FOR EMBARGOED RELEASE:
September 16, 2025
CONTACT:
Camille Jewell
202-248-5487
cjewell@vancomm.com
Farm Aid Partners with the University of Minnesota to Host Pre-Events Ahead of Farm Aid 40
Special Festival Ticket Pricing Available for University of Minnesota Students
MINNEAPOLIS — Over the course of the next five days, Farm Aid and the University of Minnesota will gather farmers, partner organizations, University of Minnesota students and the public at multiple on-campus events ahead of the organization’s annual music and food festival at Huntington Bank Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 20.
“One of the great joys of bringing Farm Aid to Minneapolis has been the opportunity to work with so many university faculty from different departments on the programming we have scheduled for the coming week,” said Farm Aid’s Cultural Impact Director Michael Foley. “The range of events reflects how important the discussion of our farm and food systems is to the university community. We’re delighted that the strike is resolved and that we can bring these events to campus as planned.”
University of Minnesota students and the general public are invited to join Farm Aid staff and representatives for the following events this week:
Tuesday, September 16
- “Lessons in Mobilizing: From the Farmer Labor Movement to the 1980s Tractorcades to Today,” with screenings of “The Farmer-Labor Movement: A Minnesota Story” and “Tractorcade USA,” with music by folk singer Larry Long and moderation by Cory Haala. The event will begin at 4 p.m. at the University of Minnesota, Best Buy Theater, Northrop.
Wednesday, September 17
- “Black Food Politics, History and Transformation: Reimagining Food Systems from Below,” a conversation with Angela Dawson, Dominique Hazzard with the University’s Department of African American and African Studies Zoe Holloman with the Midwest Farmers of Color Collective, moderated by Tracey Deutsch, faculty in the University’s Department of History. The event will begin at 5 p.m. at the University of Minnesota Liberal Arts Engagement Hub, Pillsbury Hall.
Thursday, September 18
- Farm Aid’s annual Farm Tour begins and ends at the University of Minnesota’s Research Farm: Bell Museum, 2088 Larpenteur Avenue W, St Paul, MN 55113. The tour includes a light breakfast and full lunch with Minnesota farmers as special guest speakers and also highlights the work of the University’s Forever Green Initiative, which seeks to develop and improve winter-hardy annual and perennial crops that protect soil and water while driving new economic opportunities for growers, the industry and communities across Minnesota. This event has reached capacity.
- “Collective Power in the Countryside: A Conversation” with Sarah Smarsh and Sarah Vogel, moderated by Sonja Trom Eayrs. The event will begin at 5 p.m. at the University of Minnesota, Best Buy Theater, Northrop.
- “Farm Aid Presents Color Me Country Takeover with Rissi Palmer,” a night of music curated by Academy of Country Music’s Lift Every Voice Award recipient Rissi Palmer. The event will begin at 8 p.m. at The Fine Line, 318 First Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN. This is a ticketed event. Tickets are available online for $25 each; discounted student tickets are also available.
Friday, September 19
- “Farmer Forum: Seeding Democracy from Our Fields to Our Future” will feature a full day of conversations about the great work happening within our farm movement. This includes a keynote address from Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, panels with movement leaders and breakout sessions with a locally sourced lunch. This event will take place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the North Star Ballroom at the St. Paul Student Center, University of Minnesota, 2017 Buford Ave, St. Paul, MN 55108. Registration for this event is now closed, as it has reached capacity.
- “Amplifying Inclusion: A Conversation with Rissi Palmer of Color Me Country Radio,” a roundtable moderated by Patrick Warfield, Professor and Director of the School of Music at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. The event will begin at 12 p.m. at the University of Minnesota, Ferguson Hall, Room 280.
Saturday, September 20
Farm Aid 40, the organization’s annual music and food festival, will take place at Huntington Bank Stadium. Attendees can learn about the University’s Forever Green Initiative in the HOMEGROWN Village. Forever Green’s interactive exhibit will demonstrate the impact of cover crops with a rainfall simulator. Attendees will get a front row seat to compare what happens when rainfall lands on bare ground versus fully covered soil. Additionally, attendees can purchase local ice cream created in collaboration with the university’s College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences dairy lab at select HOMEGROWN Concessions® locations.
“We are honored to welcome Farm Aid 40 artists and attendees to the University of Minnesota,” said University President Rebecca Cunningham. “From its beginning, the University of Minnesota has been strongly rooted in agricultural advancement and supporting health and prosperity for farmers in Minnesota, the nation and world. Our firm commitment is to continue to educate the next generation of agricultural leaders.”
Farm Aid 40 will feature performances by Farm Aid board members Willie Nelson, Neil Young (and the Chrome Hearts), John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews (with Tim Reynolds), and Margo Price, as well as Kenny Chesney, Billy Strings, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Lukas Nelson, Trampled by Turtles, Wynonna Judd, Steve Earle, Waxahatchee, Eric Burton of Black Pumas, Jesse Welles, Madeline Edwards and Wisdom Indian Dancers.
Tickets for Farm Aid’s 40th anniversary music and food festival are available for purchase at farmaid40.org. Ticket prices range from $101 to $220 (fees included, sales tax will be added). University of Minnesota students interested in attending Farm Aid 40 are welcome to purchase tickets at specially discounted all-in prices. To purchase student tickets to Farm Aid 40, check your weekly emails from gophersports@umn.edu for your specific promo code, or call the box office at 612-624-8080 (open from Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.).
For venue information, visit farmaid.org/festival/venue-information. More details are also available at farmaid.org/festival.
For festival and 40th anniversary updates, follow Farm Aid on Facebook (facebook.com/farmaid), Instagram (instagram.com/farmaid), X (@FarmAid), Bluesky (@farmaid.org) and Threads (threads.com/@farmaid). Festivalgoers are encouraged to use the hashtags #FarmAid40 and #Road2FarmAid40 to join the conversation on social media.
Farm Aid’s mission is to build a vibrant, family farm-centered system of agriculture in America. Farm Aid artists and board members Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews and Margo Price host an annual festival to raise funds to support Farm Aid’s work with family farmers and to inspire people to choose family farm food. Since 1985, Farm Aid, with the support of the artists who contribute their performances each year, has raised more than $85 million to support programs that help farmers thrive, expand the reach of the Good Food Movement, take action to change the dominant system of industrial agriculture and promote food from family farms.
The University of Minnesota, with campuses in Crookston, Duluth, Morris, Rochester and the Twin Cities, is driven by a singular vision of excellence. We are proud of our mission of accessible world-class education, groundbreaking research and community-engaged outreach, and we are unified in our drive to serve Minnesota, the nation and the world. Visit system.umn.edu.
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**Editors, Producers and Photographers Note: Advance credentials are required for all media to attend Farm Aid 40. Please visit farmaid.org/media to learn about these requirements and apply. Media can download official Farm Aid photos and videos at farmaid.org/media.
