Ben March, who brought the fresh energy of a new generation to the operation of his family's century-old farm, died Saturday in a farm accident, local officials said. He was 39.
The youngest son of Thomas and Susan March returned to the 150-acre farm on Munger Road after years in a cubicle calculating pensions for Citibank, according to a history of the farm that Bethlehem author Nancy McMillan wrote in 2013.
March pioneered new approaches to keeping the farm in business and diversifying its revenue stream after the family abandoned its dairy production in 1988, building a robust greenhouse tomato business and a customer base from across New England for activities like pick-your-own fruits and corn, a playscape for children, hayrides and corn mazes.