Kenny Chesney [ tickets ] has joined the list of names being assembled for Farm Aid [ tickets ]'s first-ever appearance in New England this fall, organizers revealed.

The country star joins Farm Aid board members and perennial performers Willie Nelson [ tickets ], Neil Young [ tickets ], John Mellencamp [ tickets ] and Dave Matthews as the first acts announced for the annual benefit concert, which is set to take place Sept. 20 in Mansfield, MA.

"American family farmers are what this country is built on ... and they have fed us and kept us strong and healthy for how many generations?" said Chesney in a press statement. "Growing up in a small town outside Knoxville [TN], it was a big part of who we were--and it's something we as a country shouldn't lose. If I can help be part of that--whether it's raising money, or awareness, or just letting those family farmers know someone knows and cares--well, that's why I'm coming to New England."

Tickets for the event, which is being presented this year by Whole Foods Market and Horizon Organic, are currently on sale to the public, with varying levels of pricing ranging from lawn tickets at $35 a pop to VIP seats for $200 apiece. More information can be found at the Farm Aid project's website.

The annual concert has raised more than $30 million since 1985 to support independent American farmers, according to a press release.

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

Last year's edition of the concert took place at New York City's Randall Island with a lineup that included The Allman Brothers Band and Counting Crows, along with mainstays Nelson, Mellencamp, Young and Matthews and others.