Nonprofit organization seeks $3 million to turn site into educational and meeting center.
Credit: Shulgin Farm/Integration Communications
A fundraising effort is underway to transform the historic Shulgin Farm into an educational and community center.
The farm is the legendary site where MDMA pioneer Alexander “Sasha” Shulgin synthesized and his wife Ann studied more than 200 psychedelic compounds.
The nonprofit organization overseeing the farm said April 16 it has launched the Seed Crystal Campaign with the goal of raising $3 million to preserve and repurpose the site.
The organization will use the funds to acquire the property, house the Shulgin archive, improve facilities and create a space for seminars, weddings and events.
“Sasha and Ann devoted their lives to understanding psychedelics as tools for growth and healing,” said Wendy Tucker, Ann’s daughter and Chair of the Shulgin Farm Board of Directors. “Sasha used to say that taking a psychedelic was like opening a door to a rich and fascinating room. The Farm was the safe space where they mapped those inner worlds.”
In 1976, Sasha resynthesized MDMA and discovered its psychological effects. The Shulgins saw the compound’s potential to foster empathy and catalyze emotional healing. Their work laid the groundwork for much of the current research into psychedelic-assisted therapy.
In addition to MDMA, the Shulgins documented the subjective effects of hundreds of novel psychoactive compounds. They wrote two books, PiHKAL and TiHKAL, based on their research.
Ann died in 2022, preceded by her husband’s death in 2014.
The preservation effort comes amid a psychedelic renaissance, including the launch of several medical research trials, Tucker says.
“Ann and Sasha showed us how to work responsibly with psychedelics to explore the mind, nurture well-being, and build community,” she says. “They grew a worldwide family from their home. With the psychedelic movement blossoming, it’s the perfect time to open the Farm’s doors to everyone who dreams of a wiser, kinder, and more connected world.”
The Seed Crystal Campaign, named after the catalytic role of seed crystals in sparking growth, is accepting donations at the Shulgin Farm website at shulginfarm.org.