my friend just went and got back last week and she said if you going to have a baby than that's the place. she also said the food was amazing. She got ton's of books and got me one called "spiritual cannabis". She said it's a nice place to visit. What I don't understand is why don't they have alot more farming going on for self sufficiency. I mean, they got the land.
They tried farming; it didn't work out for them. You should ask them the reasons why. They'll tell you. It's no secret; I'm just don't know enough to answer that. I went there last year for their new "Farm weekend" thing that they do to show people what they're about. I had been about 8 years earlier. After 30+ years, they're still walking the walk, not just talking the talk. They have multiple peace projects and projects to fly out and help rebuild in countries who've had natural disasters. It was an interesting place. I believe they said that their business for making devices that detect radioactivity is their current biggest money producer. They also have a mushroom business (edibles), a media business and some others. THey make their own soy ice creams (Delicious!!!!!) and seitan. The food was wonderful; the people were friendly. It felt a little too sleepy and remote for me, but I'm into extreme sports, coffeehouses, and airline access. If you aren't into those things, and don't mind living out of the city (summertown is about 15 miles away and Nashville is just under two hours, I think), then you'll have no problem. But, then, that's the idea of most such communities...to get away from the cities. I don't know if they change host duties each time. I will say that the dozen or so people I met were all in their 50 and 60's. THere are younger people and families there, but we didn't meet them, except in one eco-area where they had some special breed of chickens, and Albert (who was not at The Farm at the time) was having some unusual adobe structures built. There were three guys in their 20's who were working in that area. And I met three more strapping young bucks in their late 20's when I took my mtn.bike out alone to find trails on the property. They said their parents live there, but they were just visiting.
Altho I have not personally been tot he Farm I have followed the community since the eighties when I first read their book on Midwives "Spiritual Midwifery" written by the midwives on the farm. It is a book telling of birth experiances on the Farm from the midwives perspective. It was fasinating..it told about the journey out in the bus caravan and how young girls would come to the farm to have thier babies and stay and that some didn't..but left their babies!! Then later I read their book "Back to the Farm" .It too was a compilation of experiances and a telling of the Farm story that included how they obtained the original property and what it took to make the needed improvements...the incarceration of their leader and how the farm drifted from the original commune to what it is today...then, there is the web site as well If you do a Google search looking for "The Farm" you will find it. The books were availible on the website the last time I looked..But I got my copies at goodwill and second hand book stores. I might add also that the midwives from the Farm played a HUGE part in the revival of midwives in the birthing process and in the training of thousands of midwives across the country. I am so proud of my sisters for reclaiming our birth process and having fun while they did it..ok I am rambling now.. enjoy
