The Farm

[Guest guest]

From www.thefarm.org

" Most of the early settlers of The Farm arrived with only the clothes on their

backs and a pocketful of dreams. Many life savings had been spent to get to

Tennessee, find and acquire the land, and make the first land payment. Racially,

religiously and ethnically diverse and spanning as much as 90 years of age, the

original group of 320 were harassed by racially intolerant neighbors and the

clandestine infiltration of state and federal law enforcement authorities.

Girded with ecumenical spirituality and an abiding sense of the utmost

importance in their mission (the slogan on the lead bus of the caravan into the

land was " Out to Save the World), the group persevered through its adversities.

The first winter was marked by an outbreak of infectious hepatitis from a

polluted stream. The second--known as " wheat berry winter " --is remembered as

near-famine. But within 4 years The Farm had gained self sufficiency in food

production and established a construction company with more than 80 skilled

craftsmen. The Farm built schools, greenhouses, dry goods and grocery stores,

and automotive, welding, woodworking and machine shops. It established child

nutrition and sanitation standards, fire codes, and electrical, heating,

lighting, and housing safety standards. Within 5 years it had founded a clinic,

laboratory, dispensary, neo-natal ICU, and infirmary with more than 60

newly-licensed medical personnel and wide range of innovative programs in

preventive medicine, serving not only The Farm, but the medically underserved

area out to a 20 mile radius. The midwifery program, born in 1971, has delivered

more than 2000 babies with outcome statistics vastly better than hospitals

(Caesarean rates are only 1.8% versus 20% for hospital delivery). In large

measure this is due to a comprehensive, family-based support program in prenatal

and postnatal education, nutrition, and care. And because of early support and

intervention for individual family problems there is no poverty, little domestic

violence, and virtually no crime within the community.

Establishing a close working group with a good sense of fair process,

acquiring land, incorporating and writing bylaws, and creating a means of

support are less difficult than finding a common vision that will carry you over

obstacles. No one can predict what those obstacles will be, only that they will

be there. Our " glue " is our shared determination to make a difference in the

future of our tiny blue home in space. "

***As a side note, one of the founders, Ina May Gaskin wrote a great book on

home birth " Spiritual Midwifery " --It's a classic.

[Guest guest]

A nice review of the history of The Farm...

the long version does have a couple of hiccups as well.

read it sometime.... it will help when you decide to start up a community :-)

The midwifery program was indeed fantastic when you consider that indigents from

far away would come to The Farm to have their babies at the last minute after

who knows what pre natal care they had or complicated lifestyles (drugs) . What

a risk that was to The Farm, and they realized it, The cost to The Farm in

supporting these folks became too great and the Farm all but shut down.

It was restructured and was not " open " as it was before. Most of the people had

to leave. Real economics were instituted and The Farm survived. In its

inception, it was truly an amazing thing. Remember that those that created the

Farm were kids from middle and uper middle income families that could afford to

send their kids to college. These kids had not experience at all in farming, or

much of anything that the farm could use as far as skills They were idealist on

an adventure. To the public at the time they were long haired hippie types, pot

smokers/ LSD trippers and free love proponents :-) (Hey where do we join up! )

The leader sensing that the group needed some parameters put controls and

regulations on some of the common practices.

They had quite a reception through most of the towns the passed through..usually

a police escort :-) Finnally in Tennessee, in a section of land that was not

exactly in high demand, they settled in to create Utopia.

They TALKED and made friends with the local Law people, and cooperated and acted

in a civil manner so that they would not created unfriendly realtionships.

Their attitude prevailed and soon the Law enforcement folks came to accept the

community with its idiosyncrasy. Even started getting a little help from the

surrounding folks. They learn to co exist with The Man and government.

:-)

My guide and main connection to the Farm was Chow, who is no longer there

because of some changes she doesnt agree with. I have been to the Farm numerous

times, studing their procedues, good and bad. It aint perfect, but it works for

them, and thats what matters to them. They are defacto the longest commune I

ever heard of (if one discounts the reorganization time).