Max Yasgur Was More Than A Farmer
The Hippie-Lovin’ Lawyer Who Hosted Woodstock
We all know very well what happened at Yasgur’s Farm in Bethel, New York on August 15, 16 and 17 of 1969. What few people know is the story behind the owner of the farm, Max Yasgur.
Max B. Yasgur studied real estate law at New York University before making a career turn and taking over the family’s dairy farm. By the late 60’s he was the largest milk producer in Sullivan County, New York with 650 cows.
When the producers of the Woodstock Music and Arts Fair searched for a site to hold their festival they were turned down by property owners in two towns that neighbored Bethel. Max rented one of his fields to them for $50,000. Max needed the money because it had been a wet year and that summer’s crops were curtailed.
Max’s son Sam, who was an assistant district attorney in Manhattan said his father believed strongly in the freedom of expression and was angered by the hostilities of some townspeople toward ‘anti-war hippies.’ In fact, some in the community of Bethel erected signs that read, “Stop Max’s Hippie Music Festival” and “No 150,000 hippies here. Buy no milk.”
When some of those neighbors tried to sell water to people coming to the concert, Max put a big sign on his barn that read, “Free Water” and according to son Sam, Max slammed his work-hardened fist on the table and demanded of some friends, “How can anyone ask money for water?” Max then told his farmhands to “Take every milk bottle from the plant, fill them with water and give them to the kids and and give away all the milk and milk products we had at the dairy.”
Max Yasgur’s famous, “I’m a farmer” speech came on day three of the festival, just before Joe Cocker’s performance.
Max sold the farm in 1971 and moved to Florida where he died a year-and-a-half later of a heart attack. He was 53. He was given a full-page obituary in Rolling Stone Magazine, one of the few non-musicians to receive such an honor.
Max will be forever remembered through the lyrics of Crosby, Still, Nash and Young’s ‘Woodstock’: “Well I came upon a child of God, he was walking along the road and I asked him tell me where are you going? This he told me, I’m going down to Yasgur’s Farm…”
The band Mountain who also played at Woodstock would also produce a tribute song titled, “For Yasgur’s Farm.”
