Farm Aid

Factual Questions
1

Okay,so what’s the deal with this Farm Aid? Been hearing about it for a long time, but does anyone know just what it is? Supposedly it’s to raise money for poor farmers. Here’s a quote from a recent internet news article:

…Farm Aid communications director Mark Smith in a statement. ''The Farm Aid concert is an inspiration to Farm Aid’s year-round work to keep family farmers on the land…

Well, we know where the money is coming from (ticket sales from Willie Nelson/ John ((Cougar)) Mellancamp, etc. concerts), but do we know who it is going to?.. and how it is getting there?

How much money is raised? How much does the “Farm Aid communications director” get? Who decides which farmers get money and how much?

The whole notion sounds admirable, but… I, being the ever vigilant straight doper, see** SCAM** written all over it.

2

Google is your friend - http://www.farmaid.org/event/

3

The “About Us” page at that site. I doubt you’ll be able to find out how much money goes into administration, such as the Communication director’s salary, but with most charities, admin costs do come into it.

4

Yeah, Google is my friend, but it’s blowing smoke up your ass. The site you refered me to is an advertisement for Farm Aid.
It doesn’t aswer the questions:

How much money is raised.

Who gets it

Why?

5

Have a further look around that site, Peanuthead. The grants criteria are given there.

As I said, admin costs would be less transparent, unless you went for public records search elsewhere.

6

Just to add – I don’t think it’s a scam. But I do think they have overheads the public may not be readily aware of.

7

http://www.maninnature.com/Management/Farming/Farm1b.html :eek: Not to famers that is for sure.

8

Admittedly it would have been a timely update soon after this thread was started back in 2003, but the linked article was published in 2004. Not very useful info nearly a decade later.

A link to the charity’s analysis at Charity Navigator shows they are currently very good about transparency and accountability, and spend approximately 1/3 of their revenue on administrative costs, which may or may not be a little high. Certainly their fundraising costs are quite low!

9

Where the money goes, from their website. The board of directors consists of Willie Nelson, Neil Young, Dave Matthews and John Mellencamp, and I’ve got my doubts that they are making a great profit off this venture. This site says that labor and production of the shows is largely donated.

10

Is there a reason you revived this ten year old thread?

11

I googled Trent Loos, and he was a manager of a large confinement hog factory, convicted of rustling cattle!! Basically selling cattle he didn’t pay for to start with. Guy should have gone to wall street.:eek:

12

Cite for this, please? Is it the same Trent Loos that is a radio personality?