Farm Aid 2009 will take place at Maryland Heights, Mo.s Verizon Wireless Amphitheater outside St. Louis on October 4. Benefit festival board members Willie Nelson, Neil Young, Dave Matthews and John Mellencamp are all scheduled to appear at the event, along with a diverse mix of performers who will be confirmed in the coming weeks. In addition, Farm Aids HOMEGROWN Village will showcase hands-on activities that give concertgoers a chance to meet farmers, get their hands dirty, and learn how family farmers are enriching our soil, protecting our water, and connecting us to our roots.

Farm Aid has deep roots in the Midwest that reach back to our first concert in Illinois in 1985, Farm Aid president Willie Nelson said in a statement. Im looking forward to bringing my friends together on the Farm Aid stage to celebrate family farmers and the crucial work they do. Farmers do so much more than bring us the good food we all want to eat. America needs family farmers to revitalize our economy and make our country healthy.