Twenty - five years ago, at the height of the counter - culture movement, several hundred hippies drove their school buses into southern Tennessee and founded America's largest, modern - day intentional community, The Farm. In its heyday, the community was home to over 1,200 optimistic young people and the young - at - heart. Their purpose for coming together was to experiment with alternative lifestyles that could help raise the standard of living for impoverished people around the world while conserving the planet's resources. The results of these experiments were not always predictable, but were always interesting, and created lasting bonds among community members that are still strong today. The Farm remains a vibrant, working environment for change. Why has it lasted so long? Discover the answers as members past and present recount some of their more memorable experiences.