Finlayson, Minnesota farmer Hannah Bernhardt raises grass-fed beef and pork on her farm. As a child growing up during the farm crisis of the 80s, it wasn’t a given that she would be able to farm. “I never thought that farming was a viable way to make a living,” said Bernhardt. “I really only made my way back to farming when I learned about direct marketing, which is what I’m doing now, because to me, that’s a way to control my price and set my price as opposed to gambling and just hoping you’re going to get a good price at the end of the year.” Bernhardt’s message at Farm Aid was simple: all types of farmers should have the support they need to succeed. “Farmers are providing a public service, and we deserve support whether we’re growing 1,000 acres of corn or we’re just feeding our neighbor half a side of beef.”
