My visit to The Farm in Summertown TN

I got here last night after a drive that should have been 3 hours that turned into 7.  I left Fred and Susan's in Southeastern TN with Siri on my iPhone as my GPS guide and wasn't paying as close attention as I should have.  I used my driving time to re-connect with my mom and blindly drove where Siri directed.  I should have been going NW but was in fact going NE.  Two hours into the trip, I stopped for coffee at McD's and realized I was 4 hours from my destination.  A little rain, a major accident that brought traffic to a standstill and a bit of arduous mountain climbing for the Navi eventually got me to my destination (a lovely home owned by Farm members--Mary and Phil).

M&P offer rooms in their home bed and breakfast style w/in the 700 acres or so that make up the Farm community.  Phil was a part of the 1500 young people who followed then leader--Steve Gaskin from San Francisco in refurbished school buses to Summertown TN in the early 70's.  They were looking for a more humane way to live together than the world they found themselves in following the Vietnam war.  Phil said they were a bunch of English majors trying to build a community together.

M&P are in their early to mid 60's and built their home 6 years ago after living in a mobile home for 15 years to acquire the cash to build the home outright.  Their home is a part of a land trust so they couldn't take out a mortgage on it.

Mary is a retired pediatric nurse and Phil is an media professional.  Phil said he got his start audio recording early community meetings and branched into video about 20 years ago.  I love the idea that they open their home up to guests visiting The Farm and that I get to hear from them what it's been like to be a part of this community for the past 40 years.  

Friday morning they drove to Nashville to pick up a young couple from the airport so I ventured out on my bike to the community store and to the swimming hole.

The swimming hole

It appears that many of the people who live here raised their kids and 40 years later are the older generation now.  It's a rural community with with a mix of gravel and hard top roads.  Homes are positioned down dirt roads off the beaten path.  It feels like a better planned layout than what I saw at Earthaven in NC though both are quite well known in intentional community circles and both have been in existence for some time.

Phil says they had a huge transition in 1983 when they went from a commune to a co-op because they couldn't pay their bills in the farming business.  Many left because there were no jobs close by and they didn't want to take jobs from the locals.  They now have about 200 people living on the property most who are retirement age.

The visitor coordinator told me they're now known for transistor sized, radiation detection devices created by a community member that's brought them a great deal of notoriety.  They're also specialize in mid-wifery assistance and training.  They also have a tofu manufacturing business on site.

As I write this post, I'm sitting in a rustic old store at the heart of the community taking in the action around me.  I ate a hearty late lunch of barley veggie soup and am enjoying the air conditioner (not quite as powerful at M&Ps and the strong and free internet connection.

Phil graciously drove me around on a quick tour of the community Sat morning before I left. Here are a few photos from that tour.

Surprise fireplace inside

Straw bale structure with grass roof

Feeling nostalgic, Phil told me of a time when he first arrived when all they had was one huge washing machine for the entire community called the Brontosaurus.  He said you'd put your name on the list to wash your clothes and sometimes your name came up at 2am.  He'd be notified somehow (this was before cell phones and internet) grab his clothes and ride his bike to the laundry facility and throw his mesh bag in with several other community members.  He said it was someone's full time job to keep the Brontosaurus working.  Given the fact that they now shop at Costco and Kroger and have a washing machine in their home (they do hang clothes out on a clothes line to dry), times have certainly changed for them.