Journeys of Discovery: Hohenwald, Tennessee’s legendary 1970’s counter-culture “Farm” still rocks
By TOM WILMER
Click here to listen to the full interview…25:58
Tom Reed came to Hohenwald, Tennessee back in 1971 as a vanguard member of a commune dubbed “The Farm”. Hundreds of hippies arrived in their vans and more than 80 school busses adorned with banners proclaiming “Out to Save the World”. They purchased 1,750 acres and settled in, and the Farm is still thriving in the Hohenwald, Tennessee countryside.
Reed eventually left the commune but he and his wife returned to Hohenwald toward the end of their careers in the health care field. Today they are intimately involved in the community’s cultural and non-profit enterprises.
Join Reed at the old Hohenwald Train Depot as he takes us on a time trip back to 1971 when the hippies first descended upon this rural Tennessee town to make a new life.
Reed also takes us on a fast-forward trip to the present world of Hohenwald and how the region, with its relatively extremely affordable real estate prices, is attracting a new generation of urban immigrants seeking an enhanced quality of life.
The Hohenwald “Farm’ show is the eleventh in a series showcasing Nashville’s Big Back Yard–an economic and tourism initiative encompassing the Natchez Trace National Parkway in Tennessee’s southwest quarter down to the Shoals Region in Northern Alabama. The town of Hohenwald is located along the fabled route of the Natchez Trace, 80 miles southwest from Nashville.
RELATED CONTENT
Journeys of Discovery: Retired circus elephants find sanctuary in Tennessee
By TOM WILMER• JAN 4, 2021
ListenListening…13:44
Correspondent Tom Wilmer visits with outreach manager Todd Montgomery at the Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee. Rescued elephants from circuses and zoos across America find peace at the Elephant Sanctuary. Founded in 1995, the sanctuary is not open to the public to ensure a tranquil retirement environment for the elephants.
Fortunately there’s a wonderful educational visitors’ center located in downtown Hohenwald. Video displays include the EleCam, providing live-streaming video feed from the elephants’ 2,700-acre habitat—the largest safe haven in North America.
The Elephant Sanctuary podcast show is the seventh in a series showcasing Nashville’s Big Back Yard, an economic and tourism initiative encompassing the Natchez Trace National Parkway in Tennessee’s southwest quarter down to the Shoals Region in Northern Alabama. The town of Hohenwald is located 80 miles southwest from Nashville.
- © 2021 KCBX