Woodstock farm's up for sale

NEW YORK: The famous farm near the alfalfa field that drew 400,000 people to Woodstock for three days of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll is up for sale. The asking price: $8 million.

Roy Howard, the current owner, is packing it in after years of tangling with local officials over permits for reunion gatherings to mark the 1969, three-day Woodstock music festival that helped ignite a generation. Up for sale is the 2,000-sq-ft house that belonged to dairy farmer Max Yasgur, along with a larger farmhouse, a barn and 103 bucolic acres about 80 miles north of New York City.

Included are a gourmet kitchen with stainless steel appliances, double convection ovens, Viking stove, antique soapstone sink, 22-ft vaulted ceilings and expansive views of the Pocono Mountains. There’s also a double whirlpool tub, steam shower and bidet.

The nearby alfalfa field where the concert was held isn’t included in the sale. It’s owned by cable magnate Alan Gerry, who turned it into the 4,800-seat Bethel Woods Center last summer.

About 400,000 people packed the field August 15-17 for the festival that drew the biggest names in music. Yasgur and his farm were celebrated in Joni Mitchell’s song Woodstock, popularised by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young with the line: “I’m going on down to Yasgur’s farm. I’m going to join in a rock ‘n’ roll band.”