19th Farm Aid in urban setting

The seeds of Farm Aid were planted in Philadelphia in 1985, when Bob Dylan, performing in the Live Aid benefit for Africa, said something should be done to help American farmers. Now Farm Aid is coming to the region for its 19th fundraising concert, to be held Sept. 30 at the Tweeter Center in Camden, N.J.

Organizers said this week that the location makes sense because half the land in Pennsylvania and New Jersey is used for agriculture, and the area boasts more than 200 farmers’ markets.

This year’s lineup includes Farm Aid co-founders Neil Young, Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp. Dave Matthews, who joined the Boston-based organization’s board of directors in 2001, will also perform.

Farm Aid’s goals include supporting family farms, fighting corporate agriculture, advocating fair prices and encouraging people to buy food grown locally. The organization has raised more than $29 million over two decades, officials said.