Oechsner Farms of Newfield has been selected for the New York AEM-Leopold Conservation Award.
The award honors farmers and forestland owners who go above and beyond in the management of soil health, water quality and wildlife habitat on working land.
Thor Oechsner and his wife Rachel Lodder, who own and operate Oechsner Farms, were presented with the award at a special ceremony Sept. 12.
Sand County Foundation and national sponsor American Farmland Trust will present Leopold Conservation Awards to landowners in 28 states this year. Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the award recognizes farmers who inspire others with their dedication to environmental improvement. In his influential 1949 book “A Sand County Almanac,” Leopold advocated for “a land ethic” – an ethical relationship between people and the land they own and manage.
New York’s longstanding Agricultural Environmental Management (AEM) Award joined forces with the Leopold Conservation Award program in 2020. In partnership with the New York Department of Ag & Markets, the AEM-Leopold Conservation Award honors a farm and its nominating Soil & Water Conservation District for their efforts to promote and protect the environment through the preservation of soil and water quality while helping to ensure farm viability for future generations.
Earlier this year, New York State SWCDs were encouraged to identify and nominate the best examples of conservation success in their district. Applications were reviewed by an independent panel of agricultural and conservation leaders from New York.
About Oechsner Farms
Thor Oechsner brought his skills as a diesel mechanic to a career in farming. With his knowledge of fixing things and a toolbox of conservation practices, this expert troubleshooter has diagnosed how to build his soil’s health while growing crops.
Thor grows hundreds of acres of certified organic grains with a dedicated team, but it didn’t start that way. He purchased a 15-acre farmstead in 1991 when he ran a Volkswagen repair shop and taught diesel mechanics. He grew his first crops in 1998 on 44 acres of rented land. While gaining farm experience and equipment, he also rented more acreage.
He first approached owners of worn-out parcels of farmland. Later, others sought him out because they wanted their land farmed organically. By cultivating positive relations with neighbors and stewarding rented land as if it were his own, he quit his day jobs by 2005 to farm full time with 400 acres in production.
Today, Oechsner Farms consists of 1,200 acres of corn, winter and spring wheat, buckwheat, rye, soybeans, oats, einkorn and hay. With his wife Rachel, and also Dan Gladstone and Rye Lyczak, they process, clean and ship food-grade grains to bakeries, flour mills, tortilla manufacturers, malt houses and distilleries throughout the Northeast. Locally, Thor partnered to establish Wide Awake Bakery and Farmer Ground Flour, a self-proclaimed “micro-mill” that supports local organic grain growers.
Photo courtesy of Sand County Foundation
Prioritizing soil health has been a key ingredient in the farm’s success. As an active participant in New York’s AEM program, Oechsner Farms is a conservation showcase in Tompkins County.
By practicing conservation tillage, Oechsner Farms has minimized soil disturbance and maintained crop residue on crop fields. This reduces erosion and enhances soil’s capacity to build organic matter. Improved soil structure and porosity allow for greater water-holding capacity and root structure development, making crops more resilient to storms and drought. A seven-year crop rotation also supports crop vitality while controlling pests and diseases.
Cover crops of peas, turnips, radish and crimson clover are grown year-round for ground cover, minimizing the potential for soil erosion and increasing carbon sequestration capabilities.
Oechsner Farms also plants grassed filter strips and pollinator habitats in cooperation with local honey farmers as a mutual crop and pollinator business venture. Filter strips along fields and roadways protect water quality by slowing down runoff from heavy rains. They also provide habitat for beneficial insects which boosts biodiversity.
Areas that are typically too wet to farm have been planted to permanent pasture grasses to provide wildlife habitat. Thor also decided to rest about 200 acres of long-time leased crop land that he believed needed a break from grain production. He worked with a grass-fed beef farm to plant and graze perennial grasses, which provides the benefits of continuous living cover on the landscape while supporting a fellow farmer.
Oechsner Farms has partnered with Audubon New York for the Bobolink Project, which protects grassland nesting birds. By delaying the hay mowing schedule on 50 acres, birds have more time to nest and successfully raise their young.
Thor’s curiosity drives his farm’s continual improvement. The former mechanic’s commitment to sustainable agriculture has Oechsner Farms running like a finely tuned engine.
Accolades for Oechsner Farms
“Farms like Oechsner Farms play a central role in feeding our families while also protecting soil and water quality in communities across New York State. On behalf of the Department and New York State, I congratulate the Oechsner family and their team on receiving the esteemed AEM-Leopold Conservation Award and the Tompkins County Soil & Water Conservation District for their work with farms in the county and Finger Lakes Region. Their innovation and pride in their work, as well as their commitment to biodiversity and preserving wildlife habitats, are exemplary of the AEM-Leopold mission and an inspiration to other farms following in their footsteps,” said New York State Ag Commissioner Richard A. Ball.
“Congratulations to Oechsner Farm and the Tompkins County Soil & Water Conservation District for being selected to receive the AEM-Leopold Conservation Award. The efforts by the Oechsner Farm to protect and improve natural resources while managing a growing farm operation are impressive and they certainly deserve this recognition,” said Matt Brower, New York State Soil & Water Conservation Committee chair.
Sand County Foundation, a national nonprofit conservation organization, presents the $10,000 cash award through the support of AFT, NYS Department of Ag & Markets, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Farm Credit East, the Ida & Robert Gordon Family Foundation, Audubon New York, USDA-NRCS and the NYS Agribusiness Association.
Last year’s recipient was Sunnyside Farms of Scipio Center. For more information on the award, visit leopoldconservationaward.org.
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