Supporting Small Farms: Our Partnership with Farm Aid
Pete & Gerry's is proud to be a longtime supporter of Farm Aid and their farmer-focused mission. Pete and Gerry’s and Farm Aid share a passion for small-scale, family-oriented sustainable agriculture. Our story began in the late 1800s, when we got our start as a small farm established right in the heart of Monroe, New Hampshire. Finding success in a rapidly growing industry meant extending our reach to fellow small family farms. Today, with a network of over 180 partner farms, we understand and value the restoration of the small family farm to the American landscape more than ever. Partnering with the Farm Aid organization is another step towards supporting our shared mission to keep small family farms thriving on American soil.
What is Farm Aid?
Farm Aid is a non-profit organization dedicated to one important mission: keeping family farmers on the land. In 1985, Willie Nelson, Neil Young, and John Mellencamp came together in concert to raise awareness of the loss of family farms in America. This benefit concert raised funds that directly impacted the dwindling family farm population in a positive way, and was the beginning of a movement. Later, Dave Matthews joined forces with the three stars to further the mission of supporting these farms. Decades later, that first benefit concert has grown into a full fledged festival boasting a star studded line-up with educational and hands-on opportunities to connect festival goers with small family farms. Proceeds from the festival support the channels developed by the organization to help family farms thrive.
Planting hope: who does Farm Aid money support?
In partnership with a multitude of nationwide organizations supporting their mission, Farm Aid is capable of impacting thousands of family farms. Partners include organizations, collectives, and institutes like the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association, a group dedicated to sustainable farming practices; and the Soul Fire Farm Institute, which works to end racism and injustice within the agricultural industry through their working farm and workshops. In total, Farm Aid works with over 300 groups across the nation, all with the shared mission to support small scale farming in the agricultural industry. To learn more about Farm Aid’s partners, check out their Grant Quilt.
Growing change: how does Farm Aid help small family farms?
Each year, Farm Aid raises millions of dollars to be used in partnership with hundreds of groups across the nation. This money funds the development of additional tools necessary to sustain small agriculture: tools like the Farm Resource Network, a national hotline providing resources for family farms in crisis. In addition, Farm Aid fosters connections between small family farms and the local and regional markets available to them, providing them with new opportunities to sell their product. Farm Aid also seeks to place family farmed produce into urban grocery stores, restaurants, schools, and other public institutions.
In the political realm, Farm Aid works to bolster national and local policies that support the small agriculture industry. Their grassroots campaigns have been organized to protest industrial farming; educate eaters on topics such as genetically modified foods, organic farming, and growth hormones; and develop legislation that will ultimately even the playing field for small family farms in the public markets. By providing a platform and a means for many family farms to come together and mobilize, Farm Aid has given small agriculture a voice on a rather large and clamorous political stage.
Join the movement: how to support small family farms
If you would like to join the movement, consider a personal donation to the Farm Aid mission. You can support small family farms all over the country with every purchase of Pete & Gerry’s, or by participating in a local farm share near you. Don’t forget to tune in to this year’s festival happenings, too! You can join all the fun by visiting Farm Aid’s website to livestream the entire show, backstage interviews, and more.
Our commitment to small family farms
Pete and Gerry’s is proud to support Farm Aid for another exciting year of gathering and building community. Together, we can raise the bar in agriculture with a commitment to sustainable practices, humane treatment of animals, conservation, and keeping small family farms on the land.
