Country singer Willie Nelson has set a date for the twentieth Farm Aid, an event which organisers are now dubbing as the "the longest-running benefit concert in America". Nelson will be joined by John Mellencamp, Neil Young and Dave Matthews at the 2005 fundraiser, which will take place at Tinley Park, near Chicago, on 18 Sep.
Farm Aid raises money to support 'family farming' in the US - over the years it has raised over $27 million. Co-founder Mellencamp explained this week: "Farm Aid for me has always been about a dream of equality for the little guy and trying to be able to make David slay Goliath". On the success of the programme he continued: "In an individual person's life, Farm Aid has made a great difference. In the big scope of things with the government, probably not so much".
For his part, Nelson told reporters: "We know we're making some sort of impact, that's why we're still here."