In every community, organization, or movement that has stood the test of decades, there comes a moment when the hands that built the foundation must place their trust in those who will carry things forward. Passing the torch is not simply about stepping aside; it’s about recognizing the right moment when a younger generation has the skills, the heart, and the vision to carry on. It’s a transfer that carries with it all the love, sweat, and lessons earned over half a century, ensuring that the ideals and dreams that first lit the spark remain alive. The goal is continuity, not carbon copies — to keep the spirit intact while allowing fresh perspectives to breathe new life into the work.
For the founding generation, there’s a certain peace in knowing that their efforts have created something worth continuing, something that will outlast their own time here. For the new generation, there’s a sense of both privilege and weight in taking the reins, knowing they are now part of a long and living story.
Here on The Farm, the last 20 years have been about passing the baton in a relay race, reaching a point where each generation's hands have been firmly in place.
Now and over the next decade, for the founding generation it is all about letting go. We remain the majority of the population here and have a strong influence. But one by one, key management positions and central components of the community are transitioning.
Farm Manager Louie Kachinsky and Serena Kachinsky, our newest midwifeWe now have our second Next GEN Farm manager, a role I held for eight years back in the 2000s. The community's bookkeeping, legal counsel, and so much more, are manifested by young people who grew up in the community, or have become part of us in more recent years.
Read below to learn some of those stories that make me proud.
