About Amber Waves Farmcast: Growing Better Every Day Through Food, Farming and Community
What if farming wasn't just about growing food, but growing community?
Join Katie Baldwin and Amanda Merrow co-founders of Amber Waves Farm as they explore the frontier of community farming through weekly conversations with chefs, policy experts, fellow farmers, and curious community members.
Whether you're a food enthusiast or aspiring farmer, tune in every Friday for insights that help people, communities and our planet grow better everyday.
EP 23 Farm Lingo 101: Cultivate, Harvest, and Regenerate Explained
This episode breaks down three of the most important—and frequently misunderstood—words in modern agriculture: cultivate, harvest, and regenerate.First, we explore what "cultivation" actually means on an organic farm. While textbook definitions refer to general crop production, in our fields, cultivation is the big umbrella term used for weeding. Because chemical sprays are not utilized, the farm relies on a mix of hand hoing and mechanical tractor cultivation to eliminate weed competition so crops can focus on resources like sun and water.Next, we look at "harvesting". While monoculture grain operations treat a harvest as a singular annual event, a biodiverse farm functions on rolling schedules. From daily tomato picking to continuous "cut and come again" crops like kale and broccolini, harvesting is a constant, dynamic cycle tailored to each plant's life stage.Finally, we tackle the latest buzzword in agriculture: regenerative. Moving past "organic" and "sustainable" practices, true regenerative farming centers completely on soil health and biodiversity. We discuss non-extractive methods like cover cropping to feed soil microorganisms, reducing tillage, and managing water conservation to sequester carbon and grow healthy food.00:00 - Introduction to Farm Lingo00:27 - Defining Cultivation01:14 - Organic Weeding Methods01:54 - Why We Cultivate (Removing Competition)02:44 - Defining the Harvest03:14 - Monoculture vs. Continuous Harvesting03:48 - Daily Tomato and Leafy Green Harvests04:45 - What Does Regenerative Mean?05:46 - Focus on Soil Health and Sequestration07:00 - The Orchestration of Sustainable Farming
9 Sept 2026
EP 22 Farming in the Hamptons: Inside Our Apprenticeship Program
And we're back! In this episode, we dive into Amber Waves 101 to discuss what it truly means to operate a production-scale teaching farm. We also share insights into our rigorous apprentice selection process, how our unique coastal climate shapes our extended harvest season, and why more young people than ever are choosing to step away from screens to build tangible skills in agriculture.**Chapters:**00:00 - The Importance of Attitude on the Farm00:16 - Welcome Back & Amber Waves 101: What is a Teaching Farm?01:49 - Selecting the Crew: Our Farming Apprenticeship Program03:56 - Building Farm Culture and Team Morale05:00 - Place-Based Work: Orienting New Farmers05:50 - Geography and Coastal Climate of Long Island07:22 - Addressing the Heritage of Farming in the Hamptons09:05 - Glacial History and Bridgeampton Silt Loam Soil10:02 - Proximity to the City and Why Apprentices Choose Us11:24 - Finding Career Security and Connection Away from Screens
27 Feb 2026
EP21 - Year of the Female Farmer
In this episode, Amber Waves co-founders Katie Baldwin and Amanda Marrow kick off the International Year of the Woman Farmer with a wide-ranging conversation on the “invisible work” of agriculture and why getting closer to your food can bring more joy, agency, and resilience.They share how Amber Waves’ apprenticeship program trains the next generation of farmers (overwhelmingly women), why crop rotation and plant families matter, and how moments like COVID made our regional food system suddenly visible.Plus: a brand-new recurring segment, MVP (Most Valuable Produce), featuring winter greenhouse arugula and how to grow it at home in days.**Learn more + support Amber Waves**- Donate / subscribe monthly: https://www.amberwavesfarm.org/giving- CSA info: https://www.amberwavesfarm.org/csa- Website: https://www.amberwavesfarm.org/#AmberWaves #Farmcast #WomenInAgriculture #LongIsland #RegenerativeAgriculture
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