Americana with Cheese, Please.

I just experienced the most Americana possible in one day. Yesterday a multiple decades-long friend, James from San Francisco, flew into the city with two tickets to the first ever Farm Aid to be held in New York City. James also grew up on a farm in Nebraska - only his farm was really in the country. He attended Farm Aid #2 in 1986 held in Lincoln, Nebraska. So of course I wouldn't pass up a ticket to such an event 21 years later.


1986 Farm Aid in Lincoln, Nebraska


Nor did 80,000 other New Yorkers from all walks of life, apparently with one primary thing in common, rather than food, a dire hate of war and the current U.S. administration. This appeared to be the real underline of the concert, with a guise of interest in the family farm and the food we consume. I came to this conclusion after assessing the food options available during the 12 hour activist themed outdoor concert: belgian imported beer, french fries with cheese out of a pump, funnel cakes, hamburgers on white buns, etc. Of course there were signature booths set up with hay bales, and other farmy acoutrements, as well as a few token organic themed booths, but there were few food options even remotely reminiscent of the fresh from the earth, completely organic vittles I grew up on day in and day out on my parents family owned, 1820's homesteaded Midwest farm. I attribute this lifestyle to the fact that everyone in my family looks 10+ years younger than we really are. It's almost creepy.

So, not to dismiss the stellar entertainment provided by Neil Young and wife Pegi and their mild proselytizing about preservation of the family farm from corporate overtake; John Mellencamp and his boisterous good ol' American boy anti-war preaching; and Willie Nelson just being Willie--red bandanna, worn out guitar, songs about pot and beer drinking horses, patriotism, evil politicians, and social justice. Dave Matthews even suggested during his set that the audience go get a few organic corndogs. Organic corndogs? Are those next the the free samples of organic string cheese from Horizon - the company owned by Danon? Or are they next to the Chipotle tent - the chain restaurant previously owned by McDonalds? Corndogs and string cheese straight from the farm! And yes, the war is a greater atrocity than the state of food in America (maybe?), and major kudos to them for their proactive engagement through music rather than, say running away and living in another country while saying to hell with it all. But I think the Farm Aid attendees in New York City deserved the option of a fantastically good meal at their first ever Farm Aid. Don't you?


The Farm Aid Board: John Mellencamp, Willie Nelson, Dave Matthews, and Neil Young. Photo taken at New York City Farm Aid, 2007.