Farm Aid Friday, 17 August 2018

What happened to yesterday!?!

The internet happened... again.

The other day I sent a social media message to Willie Nelson, on Twitter I think, about who would be the best person to establish a revolving loan fund for farmers who need financial options for the bad years.  I knew he was associated with FARM AID, but really didn't know what the group was about... except music concerts to raise funds.  I made my way to their website yesterday... to find out what it offered farmers... and it took a long time just to "browse" through the pages they had.

I was planning to make an "official" suggestion about the loan option, with more details so, actually, I was kind of looking for a contact option...for the staff...for individuals with the authority to even think about the plan I wanted to share.  It is hard, very hard, to reach the people who matter when you want to offer a suggestion that matters.  I'm not sure how I will set this up for Working Together either.  For me, it all depends on the money available... to be able to pay someone to take care of that part of the process.  I don't know what the issue is for other groups, or businesses.

In looking at the website, it seemed like another referral group.  Having been involved with the poverty sector for SOOOOOOO many years, you discover that everyone wants to offer you the same information... go here for this, go here for that...so you spend your days and money going here and there, but no one actually has the resources you need, or any kind of access to it.  It is the "merry-go-round" principle.  People feel like they are helping you, but it is really like a dog or cat that is chasing its tail... it doesn't really help solve the problem you have in that moment.

I did find a new DISASTER RECOVERY FUND for things like floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, etc..  And that was good.

I looked at their Form 990 a little bit and found a lot of grants for things.  I haven't been able to explore the details yet.

I looked at their Charity Navigator link and was concerned that their audit independence wasn't checked... so I saved their link to that report to check out later.

I watched a bunch of their videos, checked on their Board & Staff page, and realized the original purpose of Farm Aid was to bring awareness to the needs of struggling FAMILY farms... starting in 1985... so the concert focus made sense.  I guess the concerts also bring in farmers and the foods they create with their farms... so that is good.

I am still trying to decide how the funding applies to what they do as an organization.  The money that is raised is what matters to me... it seems to me that aid for farmers needs to save their farms from being lost.  I am trying to understand how it works at Farm Aid... including the legal restrictions that non-profits must operate under... and what will happen after the main musicians are gone.  :-(


I still think that Willie Nelson is the best one for the job of helping farmers in distress... and I think that he might be able to establish something for them before he leaves this world.  I will continue in my quest to submit the details of my idea so they can at least think about it.

Many years ago I watched videos of multiple-generation farm families see their lives be auctioned off because there was no one around to help. There was some of that in the videos I saw at Farm Aid's site.  It reminds me that

I have lost everything in my life before.

So I know how hard that is on a human being, on a family, on the history and memories that matter.  I don't know yet what they consider a Family Farm in questions of support, but I will keep looking for that information.

Changing the Status Quo has been one of the things that motivated me in creating Working Together. I think our only hope is to go outside of the way things are done now.  As a Christian, GOD is an important part of the entire process.  It makes my views different, my decisions different, my goals different.  I hope that we can find that path soon.

This year's Farm Aid Festival is 22 September in Hartford, Connecticut.  You'll have to find out more at their website.  :-)

I better go for now.  I may be back later today since this post got occupied by one topic.  I am busy getting ready for the weekend, for the Sabbath, and for the sunshine that is coming.  There is always something that needs to be done, so I try to check as many things off my list as I can.  :-)  That's all I can do... right?  haha

Until next time,
In Christ,

Deborah Martin

work2gather.us
Working Together Inc
Building for the End Times

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May GOD provide for those who are suffering and don't know how to find the help they need.
May Christians become more aware of those around them.
May our differences become less important than our humanity.
May we find better solutions to our community problems than greed and law.
May we love one another with a pure heart, trusting GOD for the details, and doing what we can in our lives to support other in godly ways.
May we think of good things more than we think of bad things to do to each other.
May we stand strong in our faith, in the good, and in what matters.
I pray that we will join together and build things that will last beyond our lives.
Amen.