MANSFIELD - Many New Englanders remember the years when farming was a way of life, and families supplied all their own eggs, pork, beef, milk, poultry, and gardens full of bountiful vegetables. As the family farm began to disappear over the past decades, a group of dedicated musicians played, and continue to play in honor of keeping the tradition alive.

In 1985, Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp organized the first Farm Aid concert to aid family farms facing financial difficulties, and to raise awareness of their cause. Twenty-eight years later, Farm Aid, America's longest running annual concert, has raised more than $30 million to support family farmers.

Farm Aid announced Tuesday that the farm and music festival will be coming to the Comcast Center on Sept. 20. It will be the first time Farm Aid will be held in New England, even though the organization is based in Somerville.

Every day, Don and Beth Flint of Flint Farm in Mansfield face the hardships that Farm Aid attempts to alleviate. "For one thing, we take a gamble every day. We put seeds in the ground and hope they grow, and then we have to worry about severe weather that could hurt the crop," Beth Flint explains. "Being self-employed, we have to worry about health insurance and just trying to keep up."

Flint Farm, which has been in the Flint family for five generations, grows 25 acres of corn and 25 acres of vegetables, sells ice cream and bark mulch in the spring and summer, has a corn maze in the fall, and sells Christmas trees in the winter. "People don't understand," Flint says. "They see the produce in the grocery stores, but they don't realize how long of a process it is to get to that point."

Presented by Whole Foods Market and Horizon Organic, the Farm Aid concert will star the three founders, Nelson, Young and Mellencamp, joined by Dave Matthews and other musicians yet to be announced.

"New England was built on the strength of independent family farmers," said Mellencamp. "We can honor that independent spirit by joining Farm Aid to grow the movement that is changing the way all of America eats."

The festival will also include hands-on activities in the Homegrown Village that show the direct connection between who is growing our food and what we eat every day. There will be concession stands selling family farm local and organic foods as well. By educating people, Farm Aid's mission is to save the quality of our environment, communities, and food.

"Let your neighbors grow your food so you don't have to import it. That addresses not only the big expense, but the environmental problem. And at the same time you're getting better food," said Nelson.

Buying locally grown food saves soon fuel prices, which in turn lowers food costs, and reduces emissions that harm the atmosphere. Plus, like Willie said, the food simply tastes better.

"On family farms, the produce is picked daily and is always fresh," explains Flint. "When tomatoes are shipped, for example, they are picked early and are nitrogenized, then they sit on a truck for days. But we sell vine ripe tomatoes."

When asked if her family will attend the Farm Aid concert, Flint enthusiastically said, "I hope so. We're huge John Mellencamp fans!"

Tickets for Farm Aid 2008 will go on sale at 10 a.m. July 28, and will be available at all Ticketmaster locations, www.ticketmaster.com, or by classing 866-448-7849.