THE FARM (TENNESSEE)

'The Farm' is an intentional community in Summertown, Tennessee, based on principles of nonviolence and respect for the Earth. It was founded in 1971 by Stephen Gaskin and 320 San Francisco hippies; The Farm is well known amongst hippies and other members of similar subcultures as well as by many vegetarians. The Farm now has approximately 200 residents.

Contents

Origins

Projects

Changes

Organizations

Notes

References

External links

Origins

The Farm was established after Gaskin and friends led a caravan of 60 buses, vans and trucks on a cross country speaking tour across the US. Along the way, they checked out various places that might be suitable for settlement before deciding on Tennessee.^[1] After buying 1,000 acres (4 km^2) for 70 dollars per acre and another adjoining 800 acres (3.2 km^2) for 100 dollars per acre, the Farm began building its village in the woods alongside the network of crude logging roads that followed its ridgelines.
From its founding through the 70's, Farm members took vows of poverty and owned no personal possessions, though this restriction loosened as time passed. During that time, Farm members did not use artificial birth control, alcohol, tobacco, man-made psychotropics or animal products. The Farm installed its own water system, but outlawed 60-cycle alternating current beyond the main house that served as its administration office and publishing center. Communications within the Farm were carried out via CB radio. Kerosene lamps and outhouses were standard for the first few years. A 12-volt trickle charge system charged used golf cart batteries in homes, which in turn powered automobile tail light bulbs hanging from the ceilings and walls, with newly-charged batteries being delivered each day. Visitors were housed in an army surplus two-story tent. Many of the buildings on the Farm were unconventional, ranging from converted school buses to yurts. A few conventional old farmhouses were home to large numbers of people sleeping several people to a room.

Projects

The Farm had its own electrical crew, compost crew, farming crew, construction crew, clinic, motor pool, laundromat, tofu plant, bakery, school and ambulance service. They also experimented in 1977 with a soy-based ice-cream substitute they called "Iced-Bean". A crew constantly manned the gate where all traffic passed and was logged. In 1974 - after helping local neighbors after a tornado - the Farm formed Plenty (later, Plenty International), its charitable works arm. Plenty's most notable projects came through its 4-year presence in the Guatemalan highlands after the earthquake of 1976. There, it established a micro-commune of volunteers and their families, living simply among Mayan populations and working under the approval of the military government.

Changes

In 1983, not only due to financial difficulties, but also a challenge to Gaskin's spiritual leadership and overall competence, the Farm changed its agreement with members to require them to support themselves with their own income rather than donate all income to the central bank. Most of its members moved off of the property around that time. At its peak, the Farm claimed somewhere between 1500 and 1700 members, living on the main community and many small "satellite" communities located in the U.S. and internationally.
Four ex-members of the Farm were instrumental in establishing and managing the Whole Earth Lectronic Link (The WELL), one of the most influential early online communities. One of them went on to found Women's Wire, which became Women.com, the first commercial women's focused online community. Another founded SFgate, one of the first newspaper-based online sites.

Organizations

The Farm is still home to many organizations. These organizations include the following:

★ The Midwifery Center, led by Ina May Gaskin, referred to as "the mother of authentic midwifery."^[2]

★ The Ecovillage Training Center, which offers conferences and seminars on organic gardening, permaculture, strawbale construction and sustainable technologies.

★ Plenty International, an international aid and development NGO that aids indigenous populations, at-risk children, and the environment.

★ Kids To The Country, a Plenty project that brings at-risk kids to The Farm to enjoy nature, to relax and be kids, and to study peace education.

★ More Than Warmth, an educational project for students of all ages to learn about world cultures. It fosters understanding, knowledge, and compassion between cultures through nonviolent, nonpolitical, and nonreligious means.

★ PeaceRoots Alliance, which links individuals and groups dedicated to peace efforts around the country and beyond with real projects and actions.

★ Swan Conservation Trust, an organization dedicated to restoring and preserving natural resources and wildlife habitat.

Notes

1. Meunier, Rachel (1994). Communal Living in the Late 60s and Early 70s. Human Issues Project. Retrieved on June 23 2007.
2. Lorente, Carol. (1995) "Mother of midwifery: Ina May Gaskin hopes to birth a local movement of midwives". Vegetarian Times - Special Women's Health Issue. July. Retrieved on June 23 2007.

References

★ Fike, Rupert (ed), ''Voices from The Farm: Adventures in Community Living'' (1998) ISBN 1-57067-051-X

★ "Why We Left The Farm", ''Whole Earth Review'' #49, Winter 1985, pp 56–66 (stories from eight former members)

★ "Farm Stories", ''Whole Earth Review'' #60, Fall 1988, pp 88–101 (reprinted from the WELL, by two former members)

External links

★ The Farm Community's official website

★ Ecovillage Training Center website

★ NPR story

★ The Farm in ''Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture''

★ [1]Stephen Gaskin's Personal Website