Zendik Farm was an intentional community of artists and assorted craftspeople that went through several iterations and locations between 1969 and 2013. They presented themselves as a living laboratory for a way of living based on a feeling of reverence for the Earth; and supported themselves through the sale of literature and merchandise promoting their beliefs and displaying their artistic statements.
Their mission was to save the earth from Ecollapse (a term that Zendik coined to describe the collapse of Earth's ecology) and was founded in hopes of inspiring humanity to cooperate and stop destroying the planet. To minimize their environmental impact and further reject the outside culture and consumerism, they would sew their own clothes, use composting toilets, build housing using recycled materials, etc. They practiced self-reliance by growing their own organic food and raising poultry and goats. They loved animals and had many dogs, horses, peacocks. guinea hens, cats and a parrot named Zugar.
They also sought to create a new form of human relationship based on open and honest communication, shared responsibility, and a rejection of traditional power structures. They believed that by living together in a cooperative community, they could create a model for a more sustainable and just future for all of humanity.
The commune was founded by Wulf and Arol Zendik (formerly Larry Wulfing and Carol Merson) in 1969 in the high desert east of Los Angeles. The couple were artists and activists who had become disillusioned with American society. They believed that the country was on a path of self-destruction due to its addiction to fossil fuels, its exploitation of the environment, and its disregard for social justice. They hoped that by creating a community based on cooperation, sustainability, and honesty, they could show the world a better way of living.
Zendik Farm moved several times over the years, eventually settling in West Virginia in the 1990s. The commune grew and shrank over the years, with a maximum population of around 100 people. The community was always open to new members, and people came and went as they pleased.
Zendik Farm was a radical experiment in communal living. It was a place where people could try to live in harmony with nature, with each other, and with themselves. The commune was not without its problems, but it was also a place of great creativity, love, and learning.
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