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Agriculture

Oechsner Farms Receives Prestigious 2025 AEM-Leopold Conservation Award

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Oechsner Farms, a regenerative organic certified grain farm operated by Thor Oechsner and his team in New York, has been selected for the 2025 New York Agricultural Environmental Management (AEM)-Leopold Conservation Award. The distinguished award honors a farm and its nominating Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) who have gone above and beyond in the management of soil health, water quality, and wildlife habitat on working land. Commissioner Richard A. Ball praised Oechsner Farms, stating, "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."

Key Takeaways:

  • Oechsner Farms has been selected for the 2025 AEM-Leopold Conservation Award, recognizing their exceptional conservation efforts in soil health, water quality, and wildlife habitat management.
  • The farm operates over 1,200 acres of certified organic grains, including hard red spring and winter wheats, hulless oats, common and tartary buckwheat, polenta type corn, rye, einkorn, grass/legume hay, and red clover.
  • Oechsner Farms has implemented a seven-year crop rotation, which supports crop vitality while controlling pests and diseases.
  • The farm prioritizes soil health by practicing conservation tillage, planting cover crops, and maintaining crop residue on crop fields, reducing erosion and enhancing soil's capacity to build organic matter.
  • Oechsner Farms has partnered with local organizations, including Audubon New York and the Bobolink Project, to protect grassland nesting birds and support wildlife habitat.
  • Thor Oechsner's commitment to sustainable agriculture has been instrumental in the farm's success, and his leadership has earned Oechsner Farms over 1,200 acres of land, including crops, pasture, and permanent grasslands.

Statistics:

  • Oechsner Farms operates over 1,200 acres of certified organic grains.
  • The farm has implemented a seven-year crop rotation to support crop vitality and control pests and diseases.
  • Oechsner Farms has planted over 50 acres of pollinator habitats in cooperation with local honey farmers.
  • The farm has protected over 200 acres of permanent pasture grasslands for wildlife habitat.
  • New York State's AEM framework is a voluntary, incentive-based approach to protect natural resources and meet the economic needs of the agricultural community, established in 2002.

Sources:

  • Albany: New York Department of Agriculture and Markets news release (no date provided)
  • Oechsner Farms' website (no date provided)
  • Sand County Foundation's website (no date provided)
  • Leopold Conservation Award website (no date provided)
  • Audubon New York's website (no date provided)
  • New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets' website (no date provided)

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