Wednesday 2nd September, 8pm, 5€ , Mullins Mill, Kells
We are delighted to welcome Albert Bates to Kilkenny to speak about the history of the farm, the iconic town of Olde Hippie History. Albert will also be presenting at the “Building Resilient Communities” talk on Tuesday 1st September in Butler House, Kilkenny.
Adventures in Community living is the heartwarming and inspiring story of The Farm. With no money, no tools and no experience over 300 hippies with only the clothes on their backs and a pocketful of dreams moved in a convoy of buses from San Francisco to Tennessee in the early 70’s. Despite freezing winters, near famine, difficult neighbors and the infiltration of law enforcement officers, The Farm grew to become a thriving community and world-renowned centre for sustainable living.
About the speaker
Albert Bates – permaculture teacher, climate activist, environmental attorney, co-founder of the Global Ecovillage Network and Transition Tennessee, author of many books, and long-time member of The Farm.
You can view an interview between Davie Philip and Albert below on YouTube.
Some history on The Farm
Convoy of buses moving from San Francisco to Tennessee in the early 70's
The Farm was settled near Summertown on 1750 acres in the poorest county in rural Tennessee on a windswept, barren limestone outcrop at the edge of the Nashville Basin.
The first settlement was built entirely from salvaged, recycled and local materials. A $1 road grader cut the roads. A $1 railroad tower provided the public water supply. Scrapped schoolbuses and army tents provided shelter from below-zero temperatures until the sawmill could begin milling native oak and salvage crews could harvest old tobacco barns, factories, and condemned houses.
The farm today is a thriving community and world-renowned centre for sustainable living.
On a budget of $1 per person per day and no grants, no food stamps, and no welfare, the 320 original settlers bought the land, erected the buildings, and became agriculturally self-sufficient within 4 years.