Dear John,

Have you heard our new podcast, Against the Grain? Our goal with this new project is to bring the magic of our annual festival to listeners year-round. Hear from farmers and artists (like Dave Matthews in the photo above), advocates and food experts, activists and policymakers – all of whom are working to build a more just and equitable farm and food system.

Episode two was released today. Listen in your favorite podcast app and don't forget to subscribe so that you'll know when episode three drops!

• Episode 1: There’s Something About Music – In this first episode you’ll hear from Margo Price, David Senter, and Farm Aid Executive Director Carolyn Mugar about the power of music as a vehicle for social change. They’ll also regale you with stories — including archival sound from Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan — about the origins of Farm Aid.

• Episode 2: Hoodwinked – Artists Dave Matthews and Allison Russell, former contract poultry farmer and whistleblower Craig Watts and organizer Tim Gibbons talk about the scourge of industrial agriculture that has come to dominate our farm and food systems in recent decades.

As you'll hear in episode two, U.S. food production is highly consolidated among just a few large corporations, especially in the meat, dairy, poultry and grain industries. This consolidation has led to high prices for consumers and unfair compensation for producers. Take action by writing to USDA Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.

Let the Biden administration and the USDA know that they must do more to diversify their suppliers and stop perpetuating the dominance that several large corporations have over our food system.