Bernie Sanders was asked to leave the Myrtle Hill Farm commune in Vermont in 1971 after about three days because he spent his time in political discussions instead of contributing to the physical labor required by the community .
What Happened
In the summer of 1971, Sanders visited Myrtle Hill Farm, a back‑to‑the‑land hippie commune in northeastern Vermont.
According to Kate Daloz’s book We Are As Gods, residents expected newcomers to participate in the demanding daily labor needed to keep the commune running.
Sanders instead engaged mostly in long political conversations while others worked, leading the commune’s core members to ask him to leave after the standard three‑day evaluation period.
