A Description Of The Good Earth Commune by Calvin Welch

http://foundsf.org/index.php?title=Communes_and_Housing

This is a good description of what everyone saw on the outside, to the common audience. It went way deeper then just what we did, like our job. It was a fertile pasture of new ideas and concepts. Like the recycling center. The first of it's kind in our parts of the U.S.

We were movers and shakers. We reconstructed most of Haight St. and surrounding areas. We were trying to rebuild not tear down.

We had Family Meetings, we had meeting with Mayor Alioto and other city officials.

We had ties to the major rock gods of the era. The Airplane, Jerry Garcia, Janis Joplin, so many, too many to posts. Just think of your favorites and there were there. Most of which passed through the Good Earth Commune.. We had ties with Chet Helm, Bill Graham and many others.

There is so much more about us, so many experiences and happenings, from Political to Religious, from Compost to meditation. So many artist and crafts persons.

I know there are some family out there that can elaborate on this.

 

Calvin Welsh is associated with The Good Earth Commune, above is some of his work.

 

We (GE) still have folks in Eugene from back in the '70s who were involved in the founding of a few co-ops such as the Ho Dads & the Oregon Country Fair.......

 

I remember the Ho Dads when I lived up on the Ranch......I figured they had already cut those trees down, so I hiked to the top of the ridge and got me a job settin chokers at first then I became a riggin slinger....The other loggers were all seven day Adventis[ sp ? ] and they were vegetarians....because my lunch was smashed by a two inch haulback cable and all the guys gave me one of there sandwiches, they were like ham, & balogna....but they weren't real meat.....those guys had a two hour commute from Roseburg, I took ten minutes to hike to the top of the ridge from my cabin....Those guys thought I was on the lam because I used an alias that didn't fit with Shills

 

We all remember the Ho Dad's.. Hi Shills great to see you here, glad to see ya typing.. hope you're feeling terrific these days

 

Don't know if I knew any ho dads or not. Maybe.

I do recall being one of the driver up to the Oregon land on the first run. Two vehicles packed with people and a long night drive. Everyone was so very thrilled. It was as if they were all going to the promised land or Disneyland, or something.

I think that we drove in, like, long before dawn, maybe. Don't really recall. Place was fucking freezing. Cold Double super wet Hell. White thick Dew frost everywhere. The Earth was like you were waking on a stack of drown big cleaning sponges a half a foot deep. As you stepped and bitter cold eggshell of the ice Earth would make a crack sound and your boots would be to the laces in ice cold mud water. The very air felt like you were walking underwater it was so wet, and the air was so fucking cold that you couldn't imagine why it hadn't solidified, like an ice cover lake. The ice silence of Death was all around in the black night. In the distance on occasion you might hear a large dead tree limb snap and crack loudly under its own dead ice weight frozen to its center. If there was ever a silent Hell, that was it.

And everyone was beside themselves happy to be there. I thought that they were all high.

Yeah. The great Back to the land split. Was suppose to be such a wonderful thing. That sort of ended the Good Earth. The land went down hill and the city went down hill. Like a Slow Death Commic Book.

I moved, Mister Machine moved. Later Cakes moved. Many people give up and moved. I hear that the Ranch wasn't all that rosy ether And folks started to look for other thing to do and other places to move to.

I guess that it's inevitable. Thinks happen. I still think that it's sad though.
Wish it could have lasted forever. But I'm just one heart. To each there own.

LOVE YA'LL

 

Just trying to bring the thread back to Good Earth. Rather then about some other family. Cool???

 

"The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." S.C..aka M.T.

 

That's nice.
He'd never been to Grants pass. Obviously.

 

I've never heard that the summer in Grant's Pass was that cold. If I recall correctly Mr.Clemens had been places far colder.

 

Hiya, I'm new and have no knowledge of this community but it sounds like a good cause, any tips on how to become active in this?

 

The HoDads are Good Earth Kennykins.

 

You belong where you wish to belong. We are all part of everything.:sunny:

 

I remember traveling to Eugene in the fall of 1987 to do some work at Sacred Heart Hospital. I went to an "arts fair", or some such gathering downtown, on a weekend, I think. It was like stepping into a time warp; I could've sworn I'd just hopped off a bus in the middle of the Haight. I started looking around for some of my old street friends; trying to find a booth where Pan the Pipeman might be selling his pot pipes; then reality hit and I realized where I was and what year it was! Freaky!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Skip, if you want to run into some good ole Ho-dads hit the Oregon Country Fair and you'll find they are many of the staff since they were a big part of the founding energy.

Kenny, among the early Ho-dads you'll find Tarus Larry, Caroline, Mouseman, Debra (bscout) etc. We were part of the founding energy there.

 

Is the Church of the Good Earth still in San Francisco? I would like to volunteer if possible.