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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information, please contact:
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Sara Unrue
Horizon Organic
(303) 635-4680
sara.unrue@whitewave.com
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Mayor Bloomberg Welcomes Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp and Farm Aid to Big Apple
First Farm Aid HOMEGROWN Festival Sept. 9 to feature Nelson, Mellencamp,
Neil Young and Dave Matthews
NEW YORK, June 11, 2007 – Alongside farmers and food
buyers at Union Square's Greenmarket, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg welcomed
Farm Aid co-founders Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp to New York as the
pair announced Farm Aid 2007: A HOMEGROWN Festival that will feature an
all-star, day-long concert event at Randall's Island Sunday, September 9.
"The City strongly supports sustainable family farming through our
Greenmarket program -- which has nearly doubled its locations over the past
five years -- and it's an honor to be hosting Willie Nelson, John
Mellencamp and Farm Aid for their 2007 concert," said Mayor Bloomberg.
Farm Aid's benefit concert will feature headliners Willie Nelson, Neil
Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews, plus other top artists to be
announced.
"Farm Aid is coming to New York because your enthusiasm for family farm
food is keeping family farmers on the land. We are thankful to Mayor
Bloomberg, the City Council and the many activists here who are leading
efforts so that every New Yorker has access to more food from family
farms," said Farm Aid president Willie Nelson.
"Things change when we all take personal responsibility for our food
and where it comes from," said Farm Aid board member John Mellencamp. "Farm
Aid is a force for change that works hard to keep farmers on the land so
that we'll have good food on our tables."
Farm Aid 2007: A HOMEGROWN Festival will celebrate music, good food,
and hands-on activities with family farmers and urban growers. For the
first time, concert concessions will feature all fresh, local, organic and
family farmed food. The Economic Development Corporation projects that Farm
Aid will have an economic impact on the City of $12.7 million.
"Farm Aid presents this homegrown festival to welcome everyone to a day
of music for family farmers and to promote fresh healthy food for all,"
said Farm Aid executive director Carolyn Mugar. "Every Farm Aid artist
comes to the show and donates their performance because they know that
family farmers are America's best source for our food and renewable energy
and the best protectors of our soil and water."
Since its beginning, Farm Aid has traveled the country, staging annual
concerts and supporting local organizations working to strengthen family
farms. Farm Aid builds the Good Food Movement by connecting people with
family farmers who are increasing the supply of local, humanely raised,
sustainable and organic food.
Tickets for Farm Aid 2007: A HOMEGROWN Festival are on sale June 16 at
10 a.m. EDT and are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, online at
http://www.ticketmaster.com or by calling (212) 307-7171, (631) 888-9000 or
(203) 624-0033. For more information about Farm Aid 2007: A HOMEGROWN
Festival, visit http://www.farmaid.org.
Farm Aid will offer special advance sale tickets to its FarmYard
members. To become a member of Farm Aid's FarmYard, visit
http://www.farmaid.org.
Sponsors for Farm Aid 2007: A HOMEGROWN Festival include Silk Soymilk,
Pet Promise, Horizon Organic, Organic Valley Family of Farms, and the
Fields Family Foundation.
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 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 over
$30 million to support programs that help farmers thrive, expand the reach
of the Good Food Movement, take action to change the current system of
industrial agriculture and promote food from family farms.
About HORIZON ORGANIC
Horizon Organic, founded in 1991, was the first certified organic dairy to distribute products nationally in the United States. The company remains true to its vision for a more organic planet, purchasing milk from 353 certified organic dairy farms and providing certified organic dairy products to natural foods retailers and supermarkets across the country. Horizon Organic's products are produced without the use of antibiotics, added growth hormones, and harmful pesticides. That's the organic promise from our farmers to consumers. For more information on the growing world of organic, visit www.horizonorganic.com
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