Columnist Leah Keiter writes about Fur Peace Ranch, the brainchild of Jefferson Airplane's Jorma Kaukonen and his wife.
I often talk to my parents before I write this column to see what they think about the spots I have chosen, or to get some advice on things I might be missing from experts who have spent many more years as Athenians than I have. A place that has been on my mind to write about since my first column came up in conversation last week: Fur Peace Ranch.
The name alone sounds very Athens-y, and the place has the same vibe. A musical (primarily guitar) camp and concert venue, Fur Peace Ranch is the brainchild of Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna’s Jorma Kaukonen. Widely regarded as one of the best guitarists of all time, Kaukonen and his wife Vanessa conceived the idea for Fur Peace Ranch way back in 1989, when they first saw a beautiful piece of land on the border of Meigs and Athens counties. Now, the ranch has been fully operational for almost 20 years, and the more than 110 acre piece of land they admired is home to cabins for musical guests to stay in, space for workshops, a store, a gourmet dining hall and a concert hall where world-class musicians (including Jorma) perform when they aren’t teaching classes.
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Fur Peace has always been a place of particular interest for me, partly because it's only 10 minutes away from my old Athens address, and partly because of the good things my parents have told me about the famous guy nestled in the back of Athens. When I told my mom I was going to write about it, I asked her a little about Jorma. She said she and my father had both seen him around Athens multiple times, and described him as very friendly and down to earth. Jorma himself has described the ranch as “a positive place to better explore the potential for your favorite instrument” and “a ranch that grows guitar players.”
In addition to being able to meet Jorma and his wife, a trip to Fur Peace could mean a close and personal interaction with other famous musicians at one of the ranch’s live concerts. Musicians visiting the ranch have the opportunity to spend the weekend taking workshops, from songwriting of all levels with Jorma to acoustic guitar with Woody Mann, and specialty weekends, like an electric guitar master class with G.E. Smith. Be warned though, the workshops are pricey — they include a weekend of lodging in the cabins on the ranch, the workshop tuition and fees and a ticket to the Saturday performance. The store at the ranch also features cool merchandise, including limited edition vinyls of Jorma, guitar equipment and band art and photos.
Jefferson Airplane will receive a lifetime achievement award at this year’s Grammy’s, in addition to being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame both as a band and as individual musicians — yes, I’m talking about Jorma. You can find him and the rest of Fur Peace Ranch at 39495 St. Clair Road in Pomeroy. Their next non-sold out concert is March 12, and features Hurl and Friends with Jorma as a special guest.
Leah Keiter is a junior studying journalism. Have you been to Fur Peace Ranch? Email her at lk969912@ohio.edu.
