Peter Young, “eco-terrorist” & former fugitive, at The Farmhouse Conference. Backyard Storytelling Under an Avocado Tree in Hollywood, California

 

(photo: tj nelson jr)

 From the website :

The Farmhouse was built in 1903 before Hollywood was Hollywood. It sat on 300 acres of avocado grove. What remains is the house, some small sliver of the once massive lot (albeit still a very good sized yard) and one massive 100+ year old avocado tree in the backyard. Also, in the backyard are meyer lemon, nectarine and guava trees. 

I learned about The Farmhouse too late. The 5th and final conference took place On November 2nd of 2013. I came across the website mid November. The events are intimate. A back yard with 100 participants listen to 10 speakers who each tell their stories for 30 minutes. No visual aids, no bells and whistles.

Vegan food was served and rules emphasizing politeness and consideration were laid out.

The farmhouse itself is a private co-living and working space.  It is inhabited by  Shane Becker, Evan Phoenix, John Bender and Heather Peterson.

Years ago, I watched a documentary film entitled Edge: The Movie - Perspectives on Drug-Free Culture, in which animal activist Peter Young was featured. 

I knew little about him and hadn't given him any real thought until I saw that he had been a speaker at The Farmhouse Conference number 3 - 2012.

THE WEBSITE DESCRIBES YOUNG IN THIS WAY.

Convicted “eco-terrorist” and former fugitive tells his story — the whole story — for the first time.

In 1997, after Peter Young was charged with Animal Enterprise Terrorism for freeing thousands of mink from fur farms, he was faced with a decision: submit to the court and face a possible life sentence, or run for it.

He chose the second one.

In an attempt to live his life to the fullest before the government took it away, Young spent 8 years perfecting the art (and science) of living well as a wanted man. For years lawyers told him never to discuss his years as a fugitive, and he never has - until now. From freight trains to book tours, these are the stories of one man's attempts to live a lifetime of adventure before a possible lifetime in prison.

From his origins in Silicon Valley, Peter Young has worn the hat of activist, punk rocker, fugitive, hobo, speaker, author, entrepreneur, eco-terrorist, publisher, prisoner, and purveyor of unpopular opinions. He is a contributor, founder, and guilty party behind many projects guided by principles of freedom for the self and all life, many of which are anonymous and none of which will be listed here. Above (almost) all of them, he is most proud of heeding, almost without deviation, the advice once given to him personally by Bill Nye: “Peter, don't ever work for another man”.

  Peter Young at The Farmhouse Conference number 3 - Hollywood, CA -2012.

The last conference invited the alumni of all conferences. Young returned. It hurts that I wasn't in attendance.

Farmhouse Conf5 - Update from Conf3 Alumni Peter Young - Hollywood, CA -2013 

ALTHOUGH THE FARMHOUSE CONFERENCES HAVE COME TO A CLOSE, A NEW ERA HAS BROUGHT IN, Barn Talks. A CONTINUED STORYTELLING EVEN WHICH WILL TAKE PLACE AT A DIFFERENT LOCATION, AND OF COURSE, AND IN A BARN. AWESOME. I LOVE STORYTELLERS, AND INTIMATE SETTINGS, ARE GOLDEN.


Sources:
All photos from The Farmhouse website.
Farmhouse Facebook