The Farm

Global Ecovillage Network logo with a turtle and leaf design.
  • Communities

About the Communities

  • Established
  • English
  • Spiritual
  • Rural

Founding year

  • 1971

What we do

In 1971, a caravan of 80 brightly painted school buses and assorted other vehicles carrying more than 320 hippie idealists landed on an abandoned farm in central Tennessee. They had a mission: to be a part of something bigger than themselves, to follow a peaceful and spiritual path, and to make a difference in the fate of world.
Today The Farm is one of the largest and longest-lasting intentional communities in the United States. 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
Local, national and global activism
Cooperation, compassion and spiritual values.
For humans to survive as a species, we must re-learn the skills needed to work together and to live lightly on the Earth. The lessons of The Farm can be applied in any community or organization.
In 1974 the Farm founded Plenty International, its relief and development arm, working primarily to preserve indigenous peoples’ lands, rights, and culture, and Global Village Institute for Appropriate Technology, to advance the tools and methods needed for constructive transition. In 1980 The Farm received the first Right Livelihood Award for its work with indigenous rights. It won the award a second time in 2011 for re-establishing legal midwifery in North America. Since 1994 the Farm has operated the Ecovillage Training Center, teaching permaculture, natural building, renewable energy and other skills for ecovillage living to people on six continents. For ten years this was the headquarters office of GEN in the Americas. Students from more 50 countries have come for permaculture apprenticeships and immersion experiences in ecovillage living.
The Farm is always looking for a few good souls to help in its work, and new members are always welcome.

  • Purpose
  • Spiritual
  • Languages
  • English
  • Community type
  • Spiritual Retreat Centers

Commemorative dates

  • January 1, 1971
  • Started living together

Video

  • Open to new members
  • Open to visitors
  • Open to volunteers
Total
220

How to join

If you are considering The Farm as a future residence, please contact The Welcome Center. +1-931-964-3574. Those wishing to go abroad as a Plenty volunteer should contact Plenty International. Donors to the Hippy Museum or Wholeo Dome should contact The Farm Historical Society +1-932-964-4324.

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Promoted Needs and Offers

  • Events
12 years ago

Gaia Ashram Internship

The Pioneers of Gaia Ashram , 5th of July– 2nd of August 2015 The Gaia Ashram Internship is a one month program on Ecovillage Design, Permaculture and Deep Ecology. The internship will be a holistic participatory learning experience & process. Interns will experience being part of the Gaia Ashram Community and we will live together for one month at– Gaia Ashram-. At Gaia Ashram we belief in holistic learning that balances the head, hands & heart. Gaia Ashram encourages participatory learning & values the power of community in holding the learning space. We design the daily & weekly structure of the internship and of our lives here based on these values and principles. Theoretical learning (Head) The theoretical sessions will be participatory and interactive. It will cover the 4 keys of Ecovillage Design Education (Social, Economical, Ecological and Worldview inspired by Gaia Education). Each week will cover one of the Ecovillage Design Keys and integrated into this we will be introduced to Permaculture Design & Deep Ecology in terms of philosophy, movement and personal experiences. Overall, We will have a maximum of 2-3 hours of theory per day on the session days, to also create lots of space for practical experiential learning. See more details of the key content below. Practical learning (Hands – on) For the hands – on practical learning we will be developing the Gaia Ashram’s farm and restoring nature on the Gaia Ashram land using permaculture strategies & techniques that are appropriate for the Rainy Season & the land and its local context. The hands-on work will focus on Gardening work i.e. developing the vegetable gardens, planting seeds & seedlings, transplanting, propagation of plants, making composts, growing and maintaining a Food Forest, planting green manures, planting lots of trees, planting seasonal crops. Apart from the Gardening we will also will be doing some natural building which mostly will focus on creating natural finishes usi

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A residential project: people live here as their primary home.

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An institution, business, network, or project that isn’t a residence (e.g. a learning center, farm, or network with no one living there full-time).

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