‘Tis the season of giving, and that is just what is happening in the bluegrass community through a multi-state collaboration among a 13-year-old award-winning Wisconsin banjo picker, Aidan Muse, a senior North Carolina songwriter, Rickey Dunn, North Dakota’s Farm Rescue organization, and Indiana’s Hopeless Holler Trading Company.
Young Aidan Muse is not only an aspiring musician, he is an advocate for American farmers. He uses his banjo picking and singing skills to shine a light on the farming industry. Dunn is a songwriter who stumbled upon the young man through his online platform. His message hit home.
Dunn shared, “I saw a post or a video about him, and I looked him up on Facebook. I had an uncle that was a dairy farmer. My granddaddy Kearns farmed, and my papa Dunn used to farm, also. I knew other folks that farmed so I know how hard farming is, and the dedication it takes.”
From there, a seed was planted and a mission to help farmers in crisis grew. Dunn pitched Aidan his original composition, Farmer. Aidan, a 4-Her who loves chickens and horses, contacted the folks at Hopeless Holler Trading Company that he had befriended at IBMA, recorded a video, and advocated his support of farmers.
Aidan stated, “Last year, over 400 dairy farms in Wisconsin alone have closed their doors, and we need to recognize and support local farmers. My friends at Hopeless Holler have designed a t-shirt that helps us all give back. With your help, we can make sure that farmers will thrive for generations to come.”
The chorus of Dunn’s song that Aidan belts out during the video goes:
He’s the salt of the earth, the keeper of the land
We couldn’t do without him, we need to understand
Our tables would be empty, fields would sit bare
We need to thank the Lord for the farmer
Farm Rescue is a nonprofit that provides farm and ranch families with the operational support they need in times of crisis. Since founding in 2005, the organization has assisted more than 1,100 farm and ranch families. Farm Rescue’s vision sees a world where family farms and ranches thrive for generations to come.
Hopeless Holler Trading Co. is offering Thank the Lord for the Farmer shirts. For every shirt purchased, $5 will be donated to Farm Rescue.
