My first exposure to Farm Aid came in 1991, when I went to Indianapolis, Ind., to cover the event. I was living in the Midwest at the time, where the farm crisis was knocking families off their land by the hundreds.

I remember it as an awful time, full of economic uncertainty. Out there, the farm economy was as important to overall economic health of the region as the tourism economy is in Maine. It affected everything, and touched nearly everybody.

The event was clouded in despair. I remember a very somber Willie Nelson talking about nuts-and-bolts economic policy, and holding policy makers to task. It made an impression, because I was struck by how committed he was to this issue.

Here we are all these years later, and Willie is still talking farm policy. For the first time, Farm Aid comes to New England on Saturday. Willie will be there, along with co-founders Neil Young and John Mellencamp, plus a host of other musicians who have signed on to the cause.

I must admit, I am most impressed that Farm Aid is still going strong. For these guys, this isn't just a passing issue, but a core commitment.

The focus of the day will be on the music that is made on stage, but there will be plenty of reminders that Farm Aid isn't about only the music. There will be plenty of locally grown food, and reminders everywhere that the eat-local campaign has taken root and changed the way America eats.

I'll be covering this year's event, beginning with a preview in Go on Thursday. In that story, Rob Derhak of Falmouth, the bass player from the band moe., talks about why his band decided to get involved this year, and why he and his family try to eat local as much as they can.

I will be blogging live from the event, beginning with a press conference at 11 a.m. that will feature Brunswick farmer Brenna Chase. And later that night, I will file a story for Sunday's paper about the concert.

The weather looks good. The Comcast Center in Mansfield should be hopping. I usually dread covering these events - I disdain the hoopla associated with them, and I would much prefer to go the concert as a fan and not as a journalist.

But I am looking forward to this one. I like the lineup of musicians, and I think Willie and his buddies have done a masterful job defining the issue. I don't feel cynical about it, because I believe in Willie's sincerity. He is doing something he cares deeply about, and I admire him for it.

So, check back on Saturday, and follow along as the concert progresses. It should be fun.

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