We manage the merch for Farm Aid at their big benefit concert once a year. With great anticipation we’ll see how we do today. We get some of the anxiety that has us relating to the tough job farmers have, will it rain and ruin sales, will it be sunny and we sell more cowboy hats, and will it get cold just in time to boost hoodie sales. Like a farmer we can’t control those things.

Thing in our control are that we study past years’ results, work with top shirt artists, and my company prepares ahead of time and even with very tight deadlines, we do our best work of the year printing.

We set merchandise records for sales in total and per person for the Live Nation building in CT last year and for Farm Aid in their decades of concerts. It will be tough to top the over $400K we did in one day last year, but we’ve given it our best shot and we’ll see how the crowd likes our offerings and see if the weather gods cooperate.

Working on Farm Aid goes beyond work, there is the good feeling of helping a good cause. Farm Aid is all about helping family farmers. My uncle’s farm went bankrupt and I know first hand the pain of what so many farms have endured. If you want to check out the merch for this year, or donate or buy a shirt, go to farmaid.org.

We’ll see how we do today. Wish us luck!