About

Iconic hippie community lives on

About 200 hippies in search of a more spiritual life found their utopia at the edge of Lawrence and Lewis Counties in 1971.

They were inspired and led by former U.S. Marine and San Francisco State College instructor Stephen Gaskin, who spoke on topics ranging from psychedelics to world religions in his open-air Monday Night Class.

They pooled their resources to buy 1,750 acres of woods and farmland near Summertown, and lived communally until 1983. The population is around 200 members now, compared to the 1,500 it once reached, but The Farm remains one of the nation’s oldest intentional communities, where people live together based on specific common values.

Businesses and nonprofits created at The Farm reflect a desire to have a positive effect on the world. Interests include a dedication to spiritual living, vegetarianism, sustainability, service to others, and nonviolence.

The most well-known development is The Farm Midwifery Center, which evolved from the delivery of 11 babies on the caravan to Summertown and hundreds more over the years. Health care professionals and expectant mothers from around the world come to The Farm to learn delivery methods and to have their babies.

The Farm Visitor Center is at the entrance of the community and offers a small museum about The Farm’s history, a selection of volumes from its Book Publishing Company, tie-dyed tee shirts, and other items.

A driving tour takes visitors by The Farm School, a large passive-solar building; The Farm Store for vegetarian and organic groceries; and the nearby Meeting Hall Dome where Market Day is held every second Saturday, April through October.

Rustic campsites are located near The Farm Welcome Center and at the Ecovillage Training Center, which also has dorm-style accommodations and private rooms. Several residents offer lodging for visitors as well.

For more information, visit TheFarmCommunity.org or call the Visitors Center at 931-964-3574.