Farms

Meet The Farmers

Grains grown in the Northeast are unique and provide our flour with a taste of place. These grains can be fall or spring seeded and harvested in the heat of the summer months. Ground Up works with growers who sweat all the details from their multi-year crop rotations, to the microbes that contribute health of the soil, to the flavor that each variety offers. In the details we find the best that our local farms have to offer.

Oechsner Farms Organic Certified

Farm Location: Newfield and Trumansburg, NY
Number of years farming: Since 1986
Number of staff/family on the farm: 4 people
Current acres managed: 1200 acres
Current acres in grains: 700
Future acres in grains: Same as current

Grain Crops Grown: Danko Rye, Warthog Wheat, Spring Wheat, Soft White Winter Wheat

Other crops grown: Corn, occasional soybeans, rye, spring/winter wheat, clover, buckwheat

What makes your farm special?
-Doing a bunch of long term fallow 1/3 acreage 5-6 year legume cut after birds leave/ build soil back up, sequester carbon, avoid tillage.
-Use a 7 year rotation - geared almost exclusively to food grade grain. Focused on quality not quantity, Set up to clean package to end users. Owners of a four mill and bakery. Part of a trio of businesses to take grain and add value. Rachel selling bread at farmers market.

Favorite crop you grow and why?
That’s a tough one. Rye. Just because I’ve been thinking about it and all the products made from it whiskey, bread, and beer. Brings a bold flavor. So good for the soil. Can make money and and do good for the ground it is grown in. Incredibly beautiful, the grey, blue green colors. Looks beautiful in the bin.

Read more about Oechsner Farms on our blog.

Breathe Deep Farm Organic & Regenerative Certified

Farm Location: Claverack, NY
Number of years farming: 25 years as an organic vegetable farm and 5 years as an organic grain farm
Number of staff/family on the farm: 2 family and 2 part time, 2 seasonal
Current acres managed: 600
Current acres in grains: 500
Future acres in grains: Land availability in this are may dictate how much more but 500 is a good amount right now.

Grain Crops Grown: Barley, winter wheat, hulless oats

Other crops grown: Corn, Soybeans, clover, grasses, fall oats for cover

What makes your farm special?
Everything. It is in a beautiful location with amazing views of the Hudson River Valley and entirely under a permanent conservation easement. A creek runs through the land and wildlife is everywhere from eagles to foxes.The fields are all all within a 3 mile radius and the biggest field is 40 acres.

Favorite crop you grow and why?
They love everything they grow and especially love watching crop, like oats, grow and know that it will not just be a cover crop but will be made into food and beverages. Each crop that has a food purpose is exciting to grow.

Seneca Grain & Bean Certified Organic

Farm Location: Yates & Ontario Counties, NY
Number of years farming: Current generation 17 years, family farming the land for 54
Number of staff/family on the farm: 6
Current acres managed: 1900
Current acres in grains: 1100-1200
Future acres in grains: Are fairly stable at this point, we would increase grains proportionally if total acreage increased

Grain Crops Grown: Wheat, Spelt, Barley, Triticale, Rye, Emmer, Einkorn, Oats, Food Grade Corn

Other crops grown: Feed Grade Corn, Soybeans, Edamame, Dry Edible Beans (6 types), Hay, Dry Peas, Red Beets, Buckwheat, Sudangrass

What makes your farm special?
Diversity

Favorite crop you grow and why?
Varies by the year, red beets are new to us and intriguing right now. Dry edible beans and buckwheat also, the common thread is that they are all able to be grown as a double crop after harvesting malting barley.