Ogden Farm in Prairie Grove is one of only eight stops on Luke Bryan's eighth annual Farm Tour. Bryan, who was raised on a peanut farm in Georgia, uses the tour as a way to celebrate and give back to the American farmer. Some proceeds from each show will help a local farming family pay for their student's college, the tour donates to food banks in each city, and this is the second year Bryan is partnered with presenting sponsor Bayer in the #Thankful4Ag campaign.
"We don't do a lot of celebrity endorsements," says Ray Kerins, the senior vice president of corporate affairs at Bayer and the "relationship manager" for the Farm Tour. "But when I met Luke, he said to me, 'My dad was a distributor of Bayer products, and I used to unload them off the truck.' He knew who we were and what we stand for. Luke's belief in family, in farming and in being part of the community, well [our partnership] is a match made on the farm!"
FAQ
Luke Bryan’s ‘Farm Tour’
WHEN — 6 p.m. Thursday
WHERE — Ogden Farm in Prairie Grove
COST — $49-$60; $5-$10 for parking
INFO — lukebryan.com/farmt…, thankful4ag.com
Bryan took a few moments out of his busy schedule -- the day before his first tour date in South Carolina was canceled due to impending Hurricane Matthew -- to answer some questions for What's Up! about the importance of supporting American farmers.
Q. People sometimes criticize country music for being inauthentic or pandering to that "country boy" audience, but you come from a farming background yourself. How do you think your background gives your music and your lyrics a little more weight with your audience than others' might?
A. I personally think that country music is one of the most authentic genres of music. The songwriters in this town are known for their quality of work and passion. A country song is often the most visual of all. I think being from Georgia and an agriculture background allows me to pull from those life experiences. That is what I know and what I write about.
Q. How does the Farm Tour differ from your stadium or amphitheater tours? What is the significance of hosting them on an actual farm?
A. The Farm Tour allows me and my crew to go into these towns that might not ever get a show and let them experience my music in their back yard. Growing up in a rural town, I had to drive 30 minutes to an hour away to see a show, and I always wished it could be different. We threw big ol' parties in the backyard and the fields, so why not try that now!
Q. The tour's partnership with Bayer has created several opportunities for giving back and charitable donations. Tell me about the decisions behind creating these opportunities -- why was it important to add these elements to the tour?
A. Bayer has been an amazing partner. They see the importance of raising up and acknowledging the farmer. Agriculture was my dad's livelihood and fed our family. I saw the hard work it took to make that happen. It is an honor for me to give back even in this small manner. Bayer has #thankful4ag which has been a great outlet to feeding families, and when I mentioned to them it would be great to honor a local farmer in each town, they didn't even hesitate. It has been a lot of fun to work with them the past two years.
Q. What do you hope your audience takes away from your performance they might not have known before?
A. I honestly always say this, but I want every person standing out there to have the time of their lives [whether] we are in a stadium, arena or a field. I am honored to get to perform for a living, and I try every night to do the best I can do on that stage. Farm Tour allows me to do this and pay honor to the farmer and these rural towns. It is all I could ever ask for.
-- Jocelyn Murphy
NAN What's Up on 10/07/2016