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Farm Commune Founder Stephen Gaskin Dies At 79

TAMARA KEITH, HOST:

Back in 1971, psychedelic school buses were the mode of transportation for Stephen Gaskin and his followers. He led them from California to Tennessee, where they founded what was known as the farm, a commune that still exists today. The charismatic leader of the collective died this week at the age of 79 in Summertown, Tennessee. At its peak, the farm boasted 1,500 members. Today, according to the New York Times, some 200 people live there - most attracted by Mr. Gaskins' message of spiritual awakening, communal living and helping others. And, as it now home to some aging hippies, the farm includes a retirement community.

(SOUNDBITE OF GRATEFUL DEAD SONG "ST. STEPHEN") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

Tamara Keith has been a White House correspondent for NPR since 2014 and co-hosts the NPR Politics Podcast, the top political news podcast in America. Keith has chronicled the Trump administration from day one, putting this unorthodox presidency in context for NPR listeners, from early morning tweets to executive orders and investigations. She covered the final two years of the Obama presidency, and during the 2016 presidential campaign she was assigned to cover Hillary Clinton. In 2018, Keith was elected to serve on the board of the White House Correspondents' Association.