News & Updates
We are so full of gratitude!
(thanks to Joe Rollin Porter for letting us use his song "Bye Bye Baby Blues" and so much thanks to Charlie Steen for this video) From the bottom of our hearts, all of us at FARM want to thank all of you for helping us exceed all of our expectations for a magnificent...
Champ
Smitty gave me permission to share this Facebook post. "My best friend, my constant happy companion, my wing man Champ Smith died earlier today. After almost 12 years spreading happiness to so many people, his end was unexpected, sudden, and quick. I think his big...
(Almost) Everything You Need to Know about FARM 2018
Here you will find answers to most of your questions plus some really important info that every attendee should read. Yes, some of this is listed in the program but we’ve added even more info here and this will be updated periodically as more important info becomes available. Thanks for taking the time to read through it all. You’ll be glad you did.
Spotlight on the AV Crew
Maurice Smeets - Sound Tech We can’t remember a FARM conference where Maurice was not at the sound board. His partners in crime have varied over the years but most recently he’s been assisted by the lovely Karen Jensen who will be joining him again this year along...
Taste of FARM
We are pleased to offer fans of folk and roots music the option of attending the evening concerts and mingling with the industry professionals who are attending the full conference. These evening events are open to the public with ticket purchase in advance (until Oct...
Presenter Peer Sessions
Do you run a house concert series, festival or venue? You're invited to join us at our annual Presenters' Peer Session (formerly Presenter Breakfast & Roundtable) Conversation with fellow presenters, talent buyers and promoters Presenter speed-dating Q & A...
Special Events at FARM
So we've told you about the Official Showcases, Workshops & Panels, our brilliant Keynote Speaker, this year's Award Recipients, the DJ Showcase, Private Showcases, Performance Lane, Open Mics and let's see... what else? Oh yea. Visit this page...
Hotel Sold Out (or is it?)
If you made a reservation that you're not going to use, please contact us at conference@farmfolk.org as soon as possible before you cancel the reservation. If you try to make a reservation and they tell you we're sold out, you have the following options:...
Performance Lane Schedule Revealed!
This year's Performance Lane schedule is now posted! If you were one of the early-birds who snagged a slot, you were notified by email last night. FARM's Performance Lane offers a limited number of pre-scheduled 10 minute performances that take place in 3 conference...
FARM DJ Showcase Artists Revealed!
This Showcase provides invited Folk Radio DJs the opportunity to select an artist they would like to introduce to the FARM community. The event takes place on Thursday night of the conference. This year it will be October 25th at 7:30pm. Congratulations to the...
Hotel Rooms, Private Showcases, Update On Award Winners And More…
It's hot here in the Midwest! And we're not just talking about the temperature (which seems to have broken a bit here in Michigan)! The excitement is brewing over our little conference. That said, there are still far too many people who don't know about FARM. The...
Open Mic Opportunities at FARM
It is always the goal at FARM to make sure everyone who wants to perform has at least one opportunity to do so. We're planning for several Open Mics throughout the conference. Folks who have 2 or fewer Private Showcases at the conference (and no Performance Lane, DJ...
Green Initiatives at FARM
Conference events like ours produce a ton of waste. No question about it and this is an area about which your conference organizers are passionate. It is our deepest desire to step up our efforts in reducing this waste with some very simple, mindful changes. We will...
2018 Official Showcase Artists Revealed!
As promised, we are please and proud to announce our 2018 Official Showcase Line-up! But first, let me thank our Official Showcase coordinator, Lee Herman for all his hard work along with the diverse group of industry professionals who took the time to listen to 131...
Private Showcase Hosts Revealed!
At long last the Private Showcase hosts are posted to the website. For those who are new to this process, we tried to be very clear about how to solicit the hosts for a showcase on the Private Showcase page. We will have 16 Private Showcase Rooms this year. We made...
2018 FARM Board Elections
The FARM Board of Directors, acting as the nominations committee, announces their preliminary slate of candidates for the 2018 election for the FARM Board of Directors and Bylaws Referendum. They are Stephanie Cofell, Craig Siemsen and Randy Styka. You can read more...
Workshop and Panel Preview
We're proud to have some of our favorite presenters returning this year, including Peter Strand (LSG Legal), Kari Estrin, Stephanie Cofell and Andy Cohen. And welcoming an exciting line up of first-time presenters, including Don White, Krista Detor and Sons of the...
July Update – Showcase Edition
As of this writing, 198 of you have registered to attend FARM in October. Approx.1/5th of those registered are associated with a venue or festival. With more than 3 months to go, this is pretty mind-blowing and with intensive planning underway, we're gearing up for an...
Now See Hear
Call for artists – Now See Hear 2018 Open to all visual artists, focus is Mid and West Lower Michigan Coordinator: Smitty (Dudley) Smith, Folk Alliance Region Midwest info@farmfolk.org Submission Deadline (for participation): August 6, 2018 Folk Alliance Region...
Become a FARM Sponsor
The Annual FARM Gathering is organized 100% by volunteers. Folk music concert and festival presenters, DJs, performers, educators, as well as those who provide products and services to these folks will come together in the spirit of helping to bring...