Welcome to the FARM (Folk Alliance Region Midwest) website. We are heartily glad you dropped by.

FARM is the regional chapter of the Folk Alliance. Founded in 1996, we provide an annual gathering of Folk enthusiasts who represent the diverse faces of the Midwest Folk community.

FARM Gathering 2008
Join FARM at its 2008 Gathering Friday, October 10th thru Sunday, October 12th (Columbus Day weekend) at the Techny Towers Conference & Retreat Center in Northbrook, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, accessible by highways that either bypass or run through Chicago, and a short cab or bus ride from Amtrak, commuter rail, and O'Hare Airport. Our new location, features, and fee schedules were such a hit last year (30% increase in attendance) that we expect an even bigger crowd this year, so be sure to book early. Nobody who registers will be turned away from the Gathering events, but we have a finite number of rooms available on-site--when they're gone, they're gone at any price! To increase participation by both younger performers who cannot afford to pay full board, and urban presenters, media, and venue operators, we are continuing our a la carte pricing structure for lodging, meals, and commuter-only, including a nominal fee for those who merely attend and observe the showcases and open mike.

Alternate lodging and dining options are located nearby, far closer than in years past--though Techny's food and lodging drew raves last year.

Here for you to review and print is:

• the FARM 2008 Schedule of Showcase Artists,
• the Workshops And Panels for the 2008 Farm Gathering, and
• the 2008 Gathering Schedule in PDF format.

If you're curious to see what a Gathering is like and don't want to make a big commitment, check out our Taste of FARM option.

2008 FOLK TRADITION IN THE MIDWEST LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: The 2008 recipient is Dave Tamulevich of Mustard's Retreat and The Roots Agency. Past recipients have been Juel Ulven, Margaret Nelson, Dave Humphreys, Glen & Judi Morningstar, Stan Werbin, Rich Warren, Larry Bruner, and Art Thieme.

2008 LANTERN BEARER AWARD: The 2008 recipients are Chris McIntosh & Alvin McGovern. This year's sponsor of the Lantern Bearer Award is Real People's Music.

JURIED SHOWCASES: There will be 12 juried showcases at the FARM Gathering again this year. PLUS, since we know that Midwestern folkies want jamming and Performance Lane (our one-song, "everyone gets a slot who wants one" performance opportunity) to continue, they will! There is a possibility that some showcasers may find their performances broadcast live on a certain nationally-syndicated radio program.

PANELS/WORKSHOPS on topics of importance to Midwestern folkies will be an important part of the 2008 Gathering. See the current list to start planning your weekend.

While we try to address issues particular to the Midwest, anyone who is a current Folk Alliance member is welcome. Also welcome are musicians, presenters and folk radio people from any region who are not currently FA members, but who are curious about Folk Alliance and who want to make musical contacts. For general information about the Gathering, e-mail Sandy Andina.

BECOME A FARM SPONSOR
Sponsor support helps us to present panels and workshops at the Gathering, and helps us to keep costs for Gathering attendees as low as possible. And there are many benefits to becoming a FARM sponsor. Read the Sponsor Information Sheet (in PDF format) and/or e-mail Sandy Andina for a schedule of benefits at differing levels of sponsorship.

The FARM Gathering, Past and Present:
Folk Alliance Region Midwest (FARM) is the largest geographical regional affiliate of the North American Folk Alliance, spanning the entire Midwest from Ohio westward to the edge of the Rockies, from the Minnesota/Michigan Upper Peninsula-Canadian border on the north to the edge of the Ozarks (Kansas/Missouri/S. Illinois/N. Kentucky) on the south—including all of the U.S. Great Lakes west of Pennsylvania and the Great Plains states. As such, our membership is uniquely attuned to the challenges and rewards of having to travel long distances between engagements, and our Annual Gathering has traditionally been more of a networking and reunion opportunity for performers, media, presenters and service providers alike, rather than a marketing event.

Until 2005, we eschewed both formal and private ("guerrilla") showcases in favor of an egalitarian, one-song-per performer open mic called "Performing Lane." In response to requests from presenters and media, we instituted juried showcases in 2005, beginning with six extended slots on one day, and doubling that to twelve slots spread over Friday night and Saturday afternoon in 2006—a format that has proved successful for both performers and presenters/media alike and will continue for the foreseeable future. We have nonetheless also retained Performing Lane for those not selected to formally showcase. We continue to eschew private showcasing, as attendees have indicated a preference that lodging rooms provide a peaceful retreat for resting and sleep; but we have always provided (and will continue to provide) ample designated spaces for jamming and song-sharing circles (traditional and several ability levels of singer-songwriters).

In addition to the performance schedules, on Saturday we conduct several sessions of four tracks of panels on subjects of interest to performers, presenters, media and service providers. We do not have an Exhibit Hall per se, but all attendees are welcome to display promotional materials (free of charge) around the perimeter of the Auditorium and in selected hallways. And we present two annual awards: the Lantern Bearer, usually given to a performer or presenter whose career has exemplified the best of the spirit of FARM, and Folk Tradition in the Midwest, given to an individual or organization who has done the most to benefit the Midwestern folk music community.

The FARM Gathering is usually held in the autumn from Friday night through Sunday morning, ranging from mid-September to early November. At first it was held at small hotels in the Chicago and Madison areas. Through 2006, it evolved to alternate in two-year cycles between the Lake Geneva, WI and Kalamazoo/Battle Creek, MI areas. Our average attendance of 70-95 registrants has usually been 60% lodgers and 40% commuters.