Farm Transition for 2026 Season

As the light returns and the darkest days offer their lessons, I find myself reflecting on all that this past year has held. It has been deeply transformational. One of the biggest shifts has been my relationship to Bewilder.

I started Bewilder 10 years ago, when I was 26, and it has shaped my life in profound ways. By the end of the 2024 season, I was burnt out from holding all the pieces it takes to run a farm. That exhaustion, paired with an opportunity at Grow Pittsburgh, allowed me to step back from daily management in 2025 and create space for others to step into leadership and shared responsibility.

Because of the passion, dedication, and trust built over years of working together, the Bewilder crew collectively carried the farm through a season marked by difficult weather and intense pest and disease pressure across the region. Folks stepped into management roles, made thoughtful decisions together, and gave so much of themselves to bring to life the abundance that nourished so many of us. They did this while continuing to build on the love and respect they have for each other and for this work, navigating challenges with honesty and integrity.

Without a doubt, this collective carrying has been the most transformational part of 2025 for me. By sharing the very real challenges of farm management, I let go of the myth of aloneness and invited in support. I was met with a depth of care that has held not only this farm business, but me fully, completely, and with so much love and compassion.

Looking toward 2026, Bewilder is beginning an early transition toward cooperative ownership and shared decision-making. We are exploring a worker-led, cooperatively owned future where responsibility, power, and care are more evenly held. This process is still unfolding, but already it has been a powerful practice of naming shared values and imagining a structure that can truly support the people who tend this land.

The future of Bewilder will look different than it has these past 10 seasons. That uncertainty is real and a bit scary, but it is also deeply exciting. I remain so deeply grateful for everyone who has been with me, and with the farm, along this journey, and for the community that makes this kind of transformation possible.

-Megan