Luke Bryan Pays It Forward For Farming

Photo by Michael Monaco

Photo by Michael Monaco

It’s that time of year again. Farm fields will be packed with students anxiously awaiting the arrival of a country music icon to come onto stage. For the sixth consecutive year, the Luke Bryan Farm Tour is making stops in college towns around the Southeast during October.

With a full schedule and sold-out shows throughout the country (see dates at LukeBryan.com), Bryan takes time during the fall to give back to the agriculture industry, which he grew up in.
To find out more about the initiative’s origins, I spoke with Wayne Weatherbolt of Nashville-based KP Entertainment who has been involved with the Farm Tour since its inception.

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Q.What was the inspiration for The Farm Tour concept?

Weatherbolt: This idea was first brought about when Luke was playing little field parties in Georgia. He decided then, if he ever made it in country music, that he was going to come back to the small towns where people normally had to drive hours for a major show. They would set a stage in the middle of the field, sell affordable tickets, and give people a chance to take a break for a day to enjoy a show close to home.

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Q. What were your expectations and what do you feel has made it successful?

Weatherbolt: Our expectations in the beginning were to give a boost to small communities that rarely received these types of events. Luke also wanted to do something to help the farming community because of his upbringing on a farm. He chose to give a scholarship to a student from a farming family attending the local college in the areas we were putting on this show.

Q. How does the selection process work for the Luke Bryan Farm Tour Scholarship?

Weatherbolt: We actually set up the scholarship with the schools’ scholarship offices. They are responsible for selecting the student through the school’s scholarship application and/or interview processes. Our only stipulations for the scholarship recipient are that they come from a farming family and are in financial need.

Q. Have you kept up with some of the past winners of the scholarship fund?

Weatherbolt: We don’t keep up directly with any of the students since the schools handle the rewarding of the scholarships, but we have had a few reach out from years past. They really wanted to thank Luke in person for the assistance he’s given them, so we put them in touch with Luke and he got to see firsthand the impact he was making. It’s a pretty moving experience.

Q. Why do you believe it is important to support agriculture through initiatives such as the Farm Tour?

Weatherbolt: This is Luke’s brainchild. His background in agriculture and the qualities the farming lifestyle instill in someone are something you cannot measure. Farmers are the backbone of America and this is just one small thing he can do to show tribute to these unsung heroes.

Q. How are you using social media to promote the Farm Tour?

Weatherbolt: Social media is our main point of promotion for the Farm Tour. We do promotions on radio, but most of our announcements and news items are circulated via social media. We have a Farm Tour page on Facebook that contains all of the information pertaining to the tour. We’ll also do some Facebook advertising to make sure all of the students of the local colleges are aware of the event.

Q. Is there anything else you would like to add?

Weatherbolt: We’re really looking forward to expanding the Farm Tour into the Gainesville area this year and look forward to working with the University of Florida to help out some students attending the school that grew up farming and are trying to further their education.

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