Steve and Cobi Sauder – A legacy of conservation

Cobi and Steve Sauder have dedicated their lives to outdoor education and conservation. Cobi is an outdoor education teacher, and Steve is a retiree who enjoyed a rewarding career with the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority. 

Cobi says they have always taken pride in being good caretakers and land stewards at their 100-acre property in Zorra Township.

“We felt privileged to be afforded the opportunity to live on a 100-acre farm, so we just wanted to give back to it. Once you live within it and immerse yourself, you just get connected with all the different plant species and all the different possibilities, so it just made sense to us to be as kind as we could to the land.”

Steve adds the farm is an extension of who they are.

“We met while teaching outdoor education, and we just have a real love for the land. It was also an extension of who I was at work because we were always promoting conservation, and it was just a great opportunity to live the things about improving water quality and soil health."

The couple purchased their 100-acre farm nearly 30 years ago and have been working towards improving their farm operation over time. Steve and Cobi have been doing no-till and minimal-till crop rotations since the 1990s and cover crops over the past six years. Steve says they always look for ways to improve soil health.

“We wanted a productive working farm, so our goal has been to continue to learn and take care of our soil as best as we can.”

Tree planting has been an ongoing project over the years, and they estimate that they have planted over 6,500 since purchasing the property. The couple has established a wooded area with tree diversity, buffered a wetland, and planted windbreaks. Cobi says they wanted to make the property accessible for their kids to give them room to explore. 

“The kids were always playing outside in the bush or outback exploring, and it just made sense to involve them in the process. All our girls are now working in the sciences, influenced by immersing themselves in nature from a young age. The property backs onto the Conservation Area, and there are lots of places to explore and learn."

Steve says they have also removed a lot of invasive species from the property and recently installed deer exclosure fencing.

“Species diversification is important to us. Working at reducing invasive species, we have worked with Oxford County to reduce glossy buckthorn from the farm as well as on the deer exclosures to help improve the woodlot health at the back and prevent the deer from eating all of the new vegetation.”

Other recent projects include a diversion terrace, decommissioning an unused well, and creating water and sediment control basins. The couple has worked with the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority and Oxford County for many of these projects. Oxford County has been able to assist with funding through the Clean Water Program, and the Conservation Authority has helped tremendously on the technical side of things. Cobi says they have both been a pleasure to work with. 

“They work really well together, too. They’re always really great about sharing initiatives coming up that we could work with them on, and they are always looking for landowners who will work with them and adopt that line of thinking.”

The results of the Sauder's hard work are obvious when you explore their property. The crops are producing good yields, the windbreaks are helping tremendously with their energy bills and the couple is enjoying all the new tree species on their property. Cobi says they have a variety of new birds, butterflies, and helpful insects because of species diversification.