345. Managing 600+ Crop Varieties at Amber Waves Farm

A Note from Michael:

The Thriving Farmer Podcast is currently on pause as we navigate a busy season on the farm. While we're taking this break, we're excited to share Farm in Focus, a special series of short, focused conversations recorded earlier this year. These bite-sized episodes highlight practical insights from farmers and experts across the industry. We hope they're helpful and encouraging as you continue your farming journey.

 

What does it take to plan, grow, and manage more than 600 crop varieties each year?

In this Farm in Focus episode, Michael sits down again with Katie Baldwin and Amanda Merrow of Amber Waves Farm—this time diving into the art and complexity of crop planning on a diversified, vertically integrated teaching farm.

From balancing customer demand with realistic yields, to building soil health with integrated grain production, to coordinating a team during harvest, Katie and Amanda offer a candid look at what it really takes to manage large-scale crop diversity.

Whether you're planning your first season or refining long-term systems, their insights will help you think more strategically about plant diversity, soil management, documentation, and how to build a resilient crop plan that works.

In this episode, you'll hear about:

Crop Diversity & Customer Preferences:
• Why Amber Waves grows over 600 varieties—and what customers actually want [2:48]

The Complexity of Crop Planning:
• How succession planting, land limitations, and crop mix make planning so challenging [6:12]

Building Soil Health:
• Integrating grain production with vegetables to support soil structure and fertility [10:15]
• Innovative disease management strategies, including soil steaming [12:28]

Harvesting & Team Coordination:
• The communication systems that keep harvest running smoothly [17:35]

Advice for New Farmers:
• Why writing everything down is one of their most important tools [21:02]
• How biodiversity strengthens customer engagement and long-term sustainability

Bio:
Amber Waves began in 2008 when Amanda Merrow and Katie Baldwin met during a farm apprenticeship, sparking a friendship and a shared dream to feed their local community. A year later, they launched their farm on seven conserved acres behind the Amagansett Farmers Market, drawn to the land's unique coastal terroir, which inspired the name Amber Waves. In the early days, they personally connected with every visitor, cultivating a community that found comfort, inspiration, and empowerment through the farm. By 2016, with the support of dedicated locals and visionary women before them, Amanda and Katie secured ownership of the farmland and reunited it with the historic farmstand. Today, Amber Waves spans over 30 acres, operates a vibrant market and kitchen, and stands as a nationally recognized educational farm serving hundreds of families and visitors each year.

Links:

👩🏻‍🌾 Visit Amber Waves Farm's website: Amber Waves Farm
📺 YouTube: @amberwavesfarmNY
📷 Instagram: Amber Waves Farm
👍 Facebook: Amber Waves Farm

 

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