Hog Farm
Encyclopedia
The Hog Farm is an organization considered to be America's
longest running hippie
commune
. With beginnings as an actual collective
hog farm
in Tujunga, California, the group, founded in the 1960s by peace activist and clown Wavy Gravy
, evolved into a "mobile, hallucination-extended family", active internationally in both music and politics
.
. While lodging on Manhattan
's East Side from 1968–69, the Farm was approached by Woodstock Ventures with a proposal — participate in a planned music festival in upstate New York
. Although the Farm had just bought land in Llano, New Mexico (near Truchas, New Mexico
) and the commune had plans to depart New York City and settle in Llano, they accepted the offer to become involved with Woodstock. Recruited to build fire pit
s and trail
s on the festival grounds at Woodstock, the Hog Farm convinced the promoter to let them set up a free kitchen as well.Gravy, W., The Hog Farm and Friends 1974 pp. 72-74
The Hog Farm group was flown to New York, were met by the world press at John F. Kennedy International Airport, and told for the first time that they had also been assigned the task of providing security at Woodstock. Gravy called his rather unorthodox security force the "Please Force," a reference to their non-intrusive tactics at keeping order ("please don't do that, please do this instead"). When asked by the press what kind of tools he intended to use to maintain order at the event, his response was "Cream pies and seltzer bottles."
, where blues giant B. B. King
gave Wavy Gravy his name.
Recruited by San Francisco underground radio pioneer Tom Donahue and Warner Brothers Records
to travel from San Francisco, California to New York and be filmed for a movie called Cruising for Burgers or "We have Come for your Daughters" later renamed Medicine Ball Caravan, the Hog Farmers bussed themselves across America, setting up stages for mainstream rock
artists. Finally, in 1970 after a concert with Pink Floyd
in Bishopsbourne, England
, the Farmers pooled their movie salaries basically; they received $100.00 each from Warner Brothers for the work they did while traveling across the U.S. for the purpose of promoting various musical groups that they had contracted with. As well, some funds were raised for them from a benefit staged by a London commune at the Round House. They continued their trek across Europe and into India
, where they decided to continue to Katmandu, Nepal and worked as extras in a movie called Hare Kishna Hare Rama, by a Bollywood
producer. After which they were invited, by the then King of Nepal to visit his palace in Pockara.
Sponsored by Steward Brand from the Whole Earth Catalogue the Hog Farm made a second trip to Europe in 1972. Invited by the United Nations to attend the Save the Whales Conference, when the city fathers of Stockholm were worried that a horde of Hippies were about to invade their city, they asked the Farmers to help them control the Hippies. Passing through Amsterdam where they joined up with the crew of the Man bus just returned from India, they set out for Stockholm Sweden in a bus called the Mouse bus that had been converted from a gasoline engine to a natural gas engine. Thus was done in order to make the point at the conference that if a bunch of "ignorant Hippies" could convert machines that consumed gasoline (and create unnecessary pollution), then industry could just as well or perhaps even better convert motors to a cleaner fuel. The United Nations was organizing the first ecology conference. The Hog Farm set up a camp at Skarpnäck Airfield
outside Stockholm together with an assortment of ecology activists. A free kitchen was feeding a thousand people. The highlight was the whale march into downtown Stockholm where they traveled in a bus—the Mouse bus—that was dressed as a large whale and preceded by a group of dancers representing death, to support a moratorium on the killing of whales. It is believed that the march was instrumental in helping the organization pass the moratorium on the killing of whales.
In 1978, the Hog Farm assisted in the founding of the Seva Foundation
, a non-profit organization dedicated to alleviating suffering caused by disease and poverty.
, and a 200+ acre farm in Laytonville, California
, known as Black Oak Ranch -- also home to Wavy Gravy's performing arts camp for children, Camp Winnarainbow
. Black Oak plays host to several music festivals each year, most of which operate in support of charitable causes. One such event was the annual Hog Farm Family Pig-Nic, which has featured performances by artists such as Ben Harper
, Spearhead, and others. In recent years the Kate Wolf Memorial Music Festival
and Earthdance
festivals have been held there.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
longest running hippie
Hippie
The hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
commune
Commune (intentional community)
A commune is an intentional community of people living together, sharing common interests, property, possessions, resources, and, in some communes, work and income. In addition to the communal economy, consensus decision-making, non-hierarchical structures and ecological living have become...
. With beginnings as an actual collective
Collective
A collective is a group of entities that share or are motivated by at least one common issue or interest, or work together on a specific project to achieve a common objective...
hog farm
Pig farming
There are various methods of pig farming depending on the method of management adopted. Variables include:* Money or capital available* The type of animals kept* Local requirements and market conditions* The level of management skills...
in Tujunga, California, the group, founded in the 1960s by peace activist and clown Wavy Gravy
Wavy Gravy
Wavy Gravy is an American entertainer and activist for peace, best known for his hippie appearance, personality and beliefs. His moniker...
, evolved into a "mobile, hallucination-extended family", active internationally in both music and politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
.
Woodstock
The Hog Farm is perhaps best known for their involvement with the Woodstock Music FestivalWoodstock Festival
Woodstock Music & Art Fair was a music festival, billed as "An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music". It was held at Max Yasgur's 600-acre dairy farm in the Catskills near the hamlet of White Lake in the town of Bethel, New York, from August 15 to August 18, 1969...
. While lodging on Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
's East Side from 1968–69, the Farm was approached by Woodstock Ventures with a proposal — participate in a planned music festival in upstate New York
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
. Although the Farm had just bought land in Llano, New Mexico (near Truchas, New Mexico
Truchas, New Mexico
Truchas is an unincorporated community in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States. Located on the scenic High Road to Taos, it is halfway between Santa Fe in the south, and Taos to the north.Truchas has the ZIP code 87578...
) and the commune had plans to depart New York City and settle in Llano, they accepted the offer to become involved with Woodstock. Recruited to build fire pit
Fire pit
Fire pits have been in existence for a very long time and despite many technological advancements since the advent of man's use of fire, they have remained a popular item because of their versatility. A fire pit can physically vary from a pit dug into the ground to an elaborate gas burning...
s and trail
Fire trail
A fire trail is a rural road built specifically for the purpose of access for "fire management purposes". The term is part of the vocabulary of Australian bushfire control and may be also known as a fireroad in US terminology...
s on the festival grounds at Woodstock, the Hog Farm convinced the promoter to let them set up a free kitchen as well.Gravy, W., The Hog Farm and Friends 1974 pp. 72-74
The Hog Farm group was flown to New York, were met by the world press at John F. Kennedy International Airport, and told for the first time that they had also been assigned the task of providing security at Woodstock. Gravy called his rather unorthodox security force the "Please Force," a reference to their non-intrusive tactics at keeping order ("please don't do that, please do this instead"). When asked by the press what kind of tools he intended to use to maintain order at the event, his response was "Cream pies and seltzer bottles."
Other projects
Shortly after Woodstock, the Hog Farmers helped keep the peace between the cowboys and the hippies at the Texas International Pop FestivalTexas International Pop Festival
The Texas International Pop Festival was a music festival held at Lewisville, Texas, on Labor Day weekend, August 30-September 1, 1969. It occurred two weeks after Woodstock...
, where blues giant B. B. King
B. B. King
Riley B. King , known by the stage name B.B. King, is an American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter.Rolling Stone magazine ranked him at No.3 on its list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. According to Edward M...
gave Wavy Gravy his name.
Recruited by San Francisco underground radio pioneer Tom Donahue and Warner Brothers Records
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
to travel from San Francisco, California to New York and be filmed for a movie called Cruising for Burgers or "We have Come for your Daughters" later renamed Medicine Ball Caravan, the Hog Farmers bussed themselves across America, setting up stages for mainstream rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
artists. Finally, in 1970 after a concert with Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
in Bishopsbourne, England
Bishopsbourne
Bishopsbourne is a small village in Kent, England. It lies in the Nailbourne valley some from Canterbury and about from Dover. It has a public house, The Mermaid, built in 1861, and a church, St Mary's, with 14th-century wall paintings. Author Joseph Conrad lived here and his house, "Oswalds",...
, the Farmers pooled their movie salaries basically; they received $100.00 each from Warner Brothers for the work they did while traveling across the U.S. for the purpose of promoting various musical groups that they had contracted with. As well, some funds were raised for them from a benefit staged by a London commune at the Round House. They continued their trek across Europe and into India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, where they decided to continue to Katmandu, Nepal and worked as extras in a movie called Hare Kishna Hare Rama, by a Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
producer. After which they were invited, by the then King of Nepal to visit his palace in Pockara.
Sponsored by Steward Brand from the Whole Earth Catalogue the Hog Farm made a second trip to Europe in 1972. Invited by the United Nations to attend the Save the Whales Conference, when the city fathers of Stockholm were worried that a horde of Hippies were about to invade their city, they asked the Farmers to help them control the Hippies. Passing through Amsterdam where they joined up with the crew of the Man bus just returned from India, they set out for Stockholm Sweden in a bus called the Mouse bus that had been converted from a gasoline engine to a natural gas engine. Thus was done in order to make the point at the conference that if a bunch of "ignorant Hippies" could convert machines that consumed gasoline (and create unnecessary pollution), then industry could just as well or perhaps even better convert motors to a cleaner fuel. The United Nations was organizing the first ecology conference. The Hog Farm set up a camp at Skarpnäck Airfield
Skarpnäck Airfield
Skarpnäck Airfield was an airfield on Skarpnäcksfältet, a subdistrict of Skarpnäck borough, Stockholm, Sweden. It was mostly used for gliding, and was closed in 1980...
outside Stockholm together with an assortment of ecology activists. A free kitchen was feeding a thousand people. The highlight was the whale march into downtown Stockholm where they traveled in a bus—the Mouse bus—that was dressed as a large whale and preceded by a group of dancers representing death, to support a moratorium on the killing of whales. It is believed that the march was instrumental in helping the organization pass the moratorium on the killing of whales.
In 1978, the Hog Farm assisted in the founding of the Seva Foundation
Seva Foundation
Seva Foundation is an international health organization based in Berkeley, California, that was founded in 1978 by public health expert Dr. Larry Brilliant. Seva is best known for their work restoring eyesight to nearly 3 million blind people suffering from cataract blindness in places like Tibet,...
, a non-profit organization dedicated to alleviating suffering caused by disease and poverty.
Later years
Today, the Hog Farm is still in existence, with various locations including a headquarters in Berkeley, CaliforniaBerkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
, and a 200+ acre farm in Laytonville, California
Laytonville, California
Laytonville is a census-designated place in Mendocino County, California, United States. Laytonville, is located north-northwest of Willits, at an elevation of 1670 feet...
, known as Black Oak Ranch -- also home to Wavy Gravy's performing arts camp for children, Camp Winnarainbow
Camp Winnarainbow
Camp Winnarainbow is a circus and performing arts camp for all ages, founded and run by Wavy Gravy. The camp adjoins the Hog Farm commune near Laytonville, California.- Activities :...
. Black Oak plays host to several music festivals each year, most of which operate in support of charitable causes. One such event was the annual Hog Farm Family Pig-Nic, which has featured performances by artists such as Ben Harper
Ben Harper
Benjamin Chase "Ben" Harper is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Harper plays an eclectic mix of blues, folk, soul, reggae and rock music and is known for his guitar-playing skills, vocals, live performances and activism. Harper's fan base spans several continents...
, Spearhead, and others. In recent years the Kate Wolf Memorial Music Festival
Kate Wolf
Kate Wolf was an American folk singer and songwriter. Though her career was relatively short, she had a significant impact on the folk music scene, and many musicians continue to cover her songs...
and Earthdance
Earthdance
Earthdance is the world's largest synchronized music and dance festival for peace. Taking place annually in over 300 locations and 60 countries, Earthdance joins participants worldwide in a synchronized Prayer for Peace...
festivals have been held there.