Which commune provided food and support services at Woodstock?

Which commune provided food and support services at Woodstock? The Hog Farm provided food and support services at Woodstock.

The Hog Farm was a mobile hippie commune founded by peace activist Hugh Romney, later known as the performer Wavy Gravy, and his wife Jahanara Romney. Woodstock Ventures invited the group to help prepare the festival grounds, including building fire pits and trails. The commune also persuaded organizers to allow it to operate a free kitchen.

The Hog Farm’s role expanded when organizers asked the group to help with security. Wavy Gravy called the volunteers the “Please Force,” reflecting their preference for de-escalation and polite requests instead of conventional force. The group helped maintain order, assisted people in distress, and supported the festival’s medical and food operations.

The Hog Farm is therefore more than a band or a food vendor: it was an intentional community providing practical services during a massive, overcrowded event. The Farm, Rainbow Family, and Merry Pranksters were associated with counterculture history, but they were not the commune chiefly identified with Woodstock’s support work.