While the “Best Local Farm” category may be new, David and Megan Kellner-Rode’s Boundless Farmstead is going strong in its eighth season of growing food. After about a half-decade of learning the ropes on their 20-acre mixed vegetable farm just north of the Badlands, the Kellner-Rodes seem to be hitting their stride.
With more than 50 different crops, the amount of food being grown and harvested at Boundless Farmstead is truly stunning. During my visit, I picked my way through rows of carrots and kale, poked my head into 200-foot-long greenhouses filled with sweet peppers and tomatoes, and sampled sumptuous raspberries fresh from the patch. My favorite, though, was probably the cucumbers — crisp, bright, and sweet.
Over 50 different crops grow at Boundless Farmstead, a full rainbow offering of produce for your plate. Photo by Maddie Franz
It takes more than just a tasty cucumber to become Central Oregon’s favorite farm, though. In creating Boundless, the Kellner-Rodes have followed rigorous, chemical-free practices: no GMOs, no synthetic sprays — even organic sprays that could harm pollinators are avoided. Instead, they rely on crop rotation, cover crops and a devotion to composting.
Beyond the fields, the farm is deeply rooted in community. When asked about their favorite aspect of farming in Central Oregon, both David and Megan were quick to point to their fellow farmers in the region. “The first thing that came to mind is camaraderie amongst the farmers,” said Megan. “Everybody is so supportive of each other. It’s just all support, every time. We have a group text going.”
“It’s like trauma-bonding, I think,” chuckled David, in a nod to the famously difficult-to-farm high desert.
Whatever it is, Boundless’s community-forward approach is working. Their 80-share collaborative CSA, co-run with Fibonacci Farm, offers an incredible produce variety and shared choice options each week. Shoppers can also find their food at the Bend Farmers Market on Wednesdays and in local restaurants and grocery stores.
To have collected the most votes in the inaugural year of this category is fitting recognition for years of hard work, care and consistency. David and Megan have built Boundless Farmstead with a clear focus on growing food, taking care of the land and making their produce accessible to the community — thoughtful, honest farming that speaks for itself, one season at a time.
Runner up: Sungrounded Farm
Boundless Farmstead
25360 Walker Rd, Bend
boundlessfarmstead.com
This article appears in Best of Central Oregon 2025 and the Source August 21, 2025.
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