All One Farm was a 1970s commune in

McMinnville, Oregon McMinnville is the county seat of and the most populous city in Yamhill County, Oregon, Yamhill County, Oregon, United States at the base of the Oregon Coast Range. The city is named after McMinnville, Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States cens ...

, United States, that played a pivotal role in

Steve Jobs Steven Paul Jobs (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011) was an American businessman, inventor, and investor best known for co-founding the technology company Apple Inc. Jobs was also the founder of NeXT and chairman and majority shareholder o ...

' early life. It is credited as the inspiration for the naming of

Apple Inc. Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, in Silicon Valley. It is best known for its consumer electronics, software, and services. Founded in 1976 as Apple Comput ...

and has ties to

Atari Atari () is a brand name that has been owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by French holding company Atari SA (formerly Infogrames) and its focus is on "video games, consumer hardware, licensing and bl ...

Robert Friedland Robert Martin Friedland (August 18, 1950) is an American-Canadian billionaire financier in the mining industry. Since the early 1980s, he has specialized in securing funding for the exploration and development of mineral and energy resources and ...

, and the birth of Jobs’ first child,

Lisa Brennan-Jobs Lisa Nicole Brennan-Jobs ( Brennan; born May 17, 1978) is an American writer. She is the daughter of Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Jobs and Chrisann Brennan. Jobs initially denied paternity for several years, which led to a legal case and various ...

. Rooted in the

counterculture A counterculture is a culture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, sometimes diametrically opposed to mainstream cultural mores.Eric Donald Hirsch. ''The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy''. Ho ...

movement, All One Farm emphasized spirituality, communal living, and alternative thinking. The commune attracted individuals interested in Eastern philosophy, meditation, and psychedelics, which were believed to expand consciousness.

How Apple Inc. got its name

The name “Apple” was inspired by Steve Jobs’ time working in the apple orchard at All One Farm, where he followed a

fruitarian Fruitarianism () is a diet that consists primarily of consuming fruits and possibly nuts and seeds, but without any animal products. Fruitarian diets are subject to criticism and health concerns. Fruitarianism may be adopted for different rea ...

diet and admired the simplicity and purity of apples. During a car ride back from the All One Farm, Jobs suggested the name “

Apple Computer Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, in Silicon Valley. It is best known for its consumer electronics, software, and services. Founded in 1976 as Apple Computer Co ...

” while brainstorming with

Steve Wozniak Stephen Gary Wozniak (; born August 11, 1950), also known by his nickname Woz, is an American technology entrepreneur, electrical engineer, computer programmer, philanthropist, and inventor. In 1976, he co-founded Apple Inc., Apple Computer with ...

on potential company names. Jobs favored the name "Apple" because it felt fresh and friendly – a stark contrast to the technical-sounding names of other computer companies at the time. He wanted a name that was "fun, spirited, and not intimidating." He also liked that Apple would come before Atari in the phone book, giving them an edge over their former employer. Although Wozniak initially hesitated due to concerns about

Apple Records Apple Records is a British record label founded by the Beatles in 1968 as a division of Apple Corps Ltd. It was initially intended as a creative outlet for the Beatles, both as a group and individually, plus a selection of other artists inclu ...

(The Beatles’ label), they ultimately settled on the name. Atari_Memo_-_Steve_Jobs

All One Farm in Atari's records

While attending the All One Farm, Jobs worked at Atari along with Steve Wozniak. The farm's influence on Jobs is reflected in official Atari records. A manuscript on Atari letterhead, which was later auctioned at Sotheby’s, featured hand-drawn circuit diagrams by Jobs, along with an "All One Farm" stamp and Jobs’ signature. This item highlights the connection between his time at All One Farm and his work at Atari.

Robert Friedland

The All One Farm was managed by Robert Friedland, a charismatic future billionaire mining mogul, who introduced Jobs to persuasive leadership,

Zen Buddhism Zen (; from Chinese: '' Chán''; in Korean: ''Sŏn'', and Vietnamese: ''Thiền'') is a Mahayana Buddhist tradition that developed in China during the Tang dynasty by blending Indian Mahayana Buddhism, particularly Yogacara and Madhyamaka ph ...

, and

psychedelics Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary mental states (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips") and a perceived "expansion of consciousness". Also referred to as classic halluci ...

—influences that contributed to Jobs' renowned “Reality Distortion Field." Though Jobs later distanced himself from Friedland, the lessons from All One Farm remained foundational to his career.

References

{{Reflist 1970s in Oregon Apple Inc. Communes Counterculture communities Hippie movement McMinnville, Oregon New Age communities Permaculture Psychedelic drugs Steve Jobs Sustainability Yamhill County, Oregon Zen