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The Farm Then and Now - The blurb for my new book
In the Summer of Love in San Francisco's Haight-Asbury, a charismatic young hippie by the name of Stephen Gaskin launched "Monday Night Class" - a weekly event which drew together an eclectic mix of truth-seekers and flower children. Soon the class became a caravan, and after touring the country this colorful crew decided to seek a plot of land and found a commune based on their shared values. Thus was born The Farm in Summertown, Tennessee.
The Farm Then and Now presents the story of a group that has defied the odds, blending idealism with a practical approach to intentional community and creating a model for sustainable living. Just as the Monday Night Classes taught students to open their hearts and minds, The Farm continues as a school of change, demonstrating ways to operate collectively in terms of:
- Land, water and stewardship
- Health care, building and infrastructure
- Cooperation, compassion and spiritual values.
For humans to survive as a species, we must re-learn the skills needed to work together; the lessons of The Farm can be applied in any community or organization. The Farm Then and Now addresses both the successes and shortcomings of this unique ongoing social experiment, showing how what was once the largest commune in the world has evolved into an exceptional example of living lightly on the earth. |
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Farm Social Life
There is always a lot going on at The Farm, and it illustrates the real difference between life in a vibrant community and the isolation often experienced by rural homesteaders.
I would even venture that while there may be more things to do in a city, almost all of it costs money. How often do people become burdened down by life in the fast lane of the rat race, too burned out to take advantage of the possibilities city life has to offer?
You could say there is no typical weekend on The Farm, because there is so much variety to the many different events and activities. But to give you an idea, I'll describe some of the things happening over just one weekend.
On a recent Saturday,
students from the Farm School rode up and down the 2 miles The Farm's main road for the annual Farm School Bike-a-thon. Students collect pledge dollars based on how many miles they covered, or people could choose to give a donation simply to support the event.
The Bike-a-thon is also sponsored by numerous business
(from both on and off The Farm) who donate cash to get their name on the event's t-shirt. The kids have fun and so do the parents and grandparents. |
The Farm School Bike-a-thon t-shirt and poster design
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Saturday afternoon, there was a great turn out for Felicia's birthday party! Felicia, who just turned 94, has been here 3 years now, living with her daughter and son-in-law.
Felicia goes to the YMCA in town 3 times a week to exercise with other seniors and is a great cook with lots of wonderful Italian family recipes.
I went to the party with my Mom
to find out what desserts Felicia has cooked up for the party! My favorite: Homemade biscottis!
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Felicia and her daughter Barb.
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Saturday Night Hoe Down!
Later in the evening, there was great enthusiasm for Moonshine Boheme, a new
theater troupe formed by a number of the young people here. This was their second show, a bit like a cabaret, with musical dance numbers, singing, comedy routines and more.
For this latest performance, they had to move to a larger venue, our outdoor stage, because the last time it was standing room only. We can't wait for the upcoming holiday
show. |
performance by Moonshine Boheme
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Sunday afternoon we had our monthly, face to face, let's get together and talk, meeting. We've learned over the last several years
that email groups and social media are not the place to have deep discussions. Too much is lost when you cannot see the person, hear their inflections and be able to catch the nuance.
These get togethers are intended to be different than our annual quarterly meetings, which feature committee and financial reports and have a more defined agenda.
We are giving ourselves the freedom and the license to bring rumors to light, tackle difficult subjects, as well as get creative and strategize.
It's always a great time to visit The Farm!
You never know what you might be happening! |
Sunday Meeting
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Thank you for your time and attention!
Douglas@thefarmcommunity.com |
