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 Lodder, 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.

Prioritizing soil health has been a key ingredient in the farm’s success. As an active participant in New York’s Agricultural Environmental Management 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 allows 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.