How two women built more than a farm — they built a community.
When Womanswork became a 1% for the Planet member, we made a commitment: every year, a portion of our revenue goes to organizations doing real, meaningful work in the world. Amber Waves Farm in Amagansett, New York is one of those organizations, and after spending time with their story, we think you'll understand why.
Amanda Merrow and Katie Baldwin met as apprentices at Quail Hill Farm on Long Island. They came from completely different directions — one from a family farm in Vermont, the other from a foreign policy career in Manhattan, where a single book changed the entire course of her life. But they shared something essential: they had both chosen this work on purpose. That shared conviction became the foundation of Amber Waves.
We sent them a few questions. What they sent back stopped us in our tracks.
On building something from scratch
Neither Amanda nor Katie inherited land, customers, or a roadmap. “We built access to land, capital, and community from scratch,” they told us, “and that experience lives in every decision we make. When you’ve had to fight for your seat, you think hard about who else might be locked out and why.”
That perspective shapes everything at Amber Waves — from who can apprentice there, to whose children attend their outdoor classroom, to who receives their donated produce. In 2024 alone, they donated 25,000 pounds of fresh vegetables to local food pantries. That’s not a footnote — that’s a mission.
On opening the gate
Amber Waves has what they call an “open gate policy.” Anyone can walk through their fields — CSA member or first-time visitor, it doesn’t matter. They’ve deliberately built the farm to function as a “third space” — somewhere that belongs to the community as much as it belongs to them.
“A pizza-making class using ingredients you picked yourself. A toddler farmer program where a three-year-old digs in real soil for the first time. A market where you can ask the person who grew your tomato how they grew it. Those experiences create a relationship with food that no amount of packaging or marketing can replicate.”
And once you’re there, you participate. That’s the whole idea.
On cultivating the next generation of farmers
The Amber Waves apprenticeship program was built specifically to lower the barriers that keep talented people — especially women — out of farming. No agricultural background required. No land. No connections. Just drive and a willingness to show up for a full season.
More than 80 people have graduated, and the majority have been women. Several have gone on to start their own farms across the country. Isabel Milligan, who apprenticed in 2017, co-founded Feathertop Farm in East Hampton. Amanda Stefan, who apprenticed in 2019, launched Wild Gully Farm in Oregon.
“Every apprentice who goes on to grow food in their own community is an extension of the work we started here,” they told us, “and that ripple effect is what excites us most.”
On hope
We asked what gives them hope about the next generation. Their answer was immediate: the apprentices. “We see people arrive each season who have chosen this — not because it’s easy or lucrative, but because they believe in it. That kind of conviction is hard to manufacture and impossible to fake.”
And then there are the children. They described a particular look a kid gets the first time they pull something out of the ground — surprise, delight, a little bit of wonder. “That response is innate, and it tells us that the connection between people and the land doesn’t go away. It just needs to be invited back.”
One of their original field trip students from Amagansett School is now an assistant manager at their market. As they put it: “That full-circle moment tells us everything about what’s possible when you invest in connection early.”
What you can do
Amanda and Katie put it simply: shop directly when you can. Join a CSA. Visit farm markets. Ask where your food comes from — and be willing to pay what it actually costs to grow it with integrity.
“The price of food in this country does not reflect the true cost of growing it well,” they said, “and closing that gap requires consumers who understand and value the difference.”
And if you’re ever on Long Island — go to the farm. As they told us, “The relationship you build with a place and the people who run it is what turns a one-time transaction into lasting support.”
We at Womanswork couldn’t agree more. It’s the same reason we put our hands in the soil, year after year. There’s no substitute for the real thing.
Learn more about Amber Waves Farm at amberwavesfarm.org.
— Heather 🌿
Womanswork is a proud 1% for the Planet member. A portion of every purchase supports organizations like Amber Waves Farm who are doing the work.
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