Dear John,

"I hope you'll join me on Thanksgiving by saying a word or two of thanks for the food on your table and the family farmers who woke up early that day and every day to ensure that we have a food system that is good for us, our communities and our country." ~Willie Nelson

Willie Nelson's words mean so much to all of us at the Farm Aid office as we get ready to join friends and family for Thanksgiving meals throughout the country. None of these meals would be possible without family farmers. We are so grateful to them, and we offer thanks to you for supporting Farm Aid and farmers this holiday season.

And there’s something else to give thanks for: Farm Aid music! Take a listen to a playlist we created with Farm Aid staff's favorite musical moments from past festivals – perfect listening for travel or cooking!

In the latest episode of Against the Grain: The Farm Aid Podcast, we take you to Farm Aid 2024 in Saratoga Springs, New York. There we made the first live recording of our podcast. The Against the Grain panel discussion featured two rockstar farmers, Hope LaBonty of Loving Earth Compost and Elizabeth Ryan of Breezy Hill Orchards, along with bona fide rockstar Nathaniel Rateliff. Listen in as Hope and Elizabeth talk about soil, composting, and how farmers, organizers and the public can come together to make composting happen on a scale that is transformative. You'll also hear Nathaniel talk about the platform artists have to support farmers and how music and food bring people together, transcending political division.

Farmers raising animals on a small scale face challenges when it comes to slaughtering and selling their meat. USDA requires farmers to use regulated facilities for this processing, but since these facilities are few and far between, farmers end up booking dates months or even years in advance to process their animals. Also, requiring farmers to bring animals to USDA-certified processing facilities creates a barrier for small-scale farmers. Thankfully, the LOCAL Foods Act offers a simple fix. It's being debated in the U.S. Senate and would ensure farmers and ranchers can provide affordable and locally-raised meat to their communities.

You’ve ​probably heard of Black Friday ​a​nd Cyber Monday​; but did you know there’s ​a​ another important day when it comes to supporting organizations with missions you believe in? It's Giving Tuesday​ – ​next Tuesday, December 3 – and we hope you'll ​remember family farmers and consider a gift to Farm Aid​!

You can also support Farm Aid by bidding on a chance to own a very special guitar signed by Farm Aid board artists and music legends like, Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews, Margo Price and others!