Neil Young Honored As Person Of The Year By MusiCares

Farm Aid Congratulates MusiCares 2010 Person of the Year, Board Member Neil Young

SOMERVILLE, Mass. Farm Aid board member Neil Young was honored as MusiCares’ Person of the Year at its award event last week. Young was honored for his artistic accomplishments and his philanthropic work with Farm Aid and The Bridge School. As a co-founder and board member of Farm Aid, Young’s unwavering commitment to family farmers has helped seed and grow the Good Food Movement.

In September 1985, Neil Young, along with Farm Aid board members, Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp, staged the first Farm Aid concert to raise awareness about the loss of family farms and to raise funds to keep farm families on their land. With support from fellow board member Dave Matthews and the nearly four hundred artists who have generously donated their time and performances, Farm Aid is now the longest running benefit concert series in America and will celebrate its 25th anniversary this year.

“For 25 years, my friend Neil has been an impassioned champion of family farmers. He rallies concertgoers year after year at our show, and he relentlessly calls on Washington to reverse the bad policies that force family farmers off their land,” said Farm Aid president Willie Nelson. “He’s stubborn, passionate, and persistent—just like family farmers.”

Along with a long list of all-star performers, Mellencamp and Matthews will perform at the MusiCares concert honoring Young. Proceeds from the annual GRAMMY Week gala will provide support for MusiCares, which ensures that music people have a place to turn to in times of financial, medical and personal need.

Farm Aid is planning its 25th anniversary concert. To learn more about Neil Young’s work with Farm Aid and about Farm Aid’s 25th anniversary concert, visit www.farmaid.org.

For 25 years, Farm Aid has worked to build a vibrant, family farm-centered system of agriculture in America. Farm Aid artists and board members Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews host an annual concert to raise funds to support Farm Aid’s work with family farmers and to inspire people to choose family farmed food. Since 1985, Farm Aid has raised more than $36 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.