The Thriving Farmer Podcast

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.


How can technology help farmers save labor, increase efficiency, and monitor their farms in real time?
In this Farm in Focus episode, Michael is joined by Nathan Rosenberg, CEO and co-founder of FarmBlox, to explore the biggest trends shaping farm technology today. From robotics to sensors to drones, Nathan breaks down which innovations truly move the needle — and which ones are more hype than help.
Nathan explains why labor-saving tools are the top priority for most farms today, how sensors can automate tasks like monitoring maple syrup sap runs, and why theft prevention is becoming a critical need in orchards and high-value crop production. He also shares practical advice for farmers interested in adopting new technology without getting overwhelmed or oversold.
Whether you're curious about automation or just want smarter ways to solve farm pain points, this conversation will help you understand what's worth paying attention to — and what to ignore.
 
In this episode, you'll hear about:
Farm Tech Trends:
• Why labor is the biggest cost driving innovation [1:53]
• Where robotics and remote sensing are making the biggest impact [04:10]
Real-World Applications:
• How sensors can automate maple syrup production and orchard monitoring [04:32]
• Why theft prevention is becoming a major tech need in agriculture [07:20]
Drones & Data:
• What drones can (and can't) do for farmers [09:55]
• Using real-time monitoring to catch issues early [10:50]
Practical Advice for Farmers:
• Why "start small" is the smartest approach to adopting new tech
• How to identify the pain points worth solving before investing



About the Guest:

Nathan Rosenberg is the CEO and Co-Founder of FarmBlox, a platform that gives farmers tools to build their own automation systems — connecting sensors, equipment, and real-time data to a simple app. With a background in robotics engineering and over a decade of experience building large-scale IoT networks, Nathan brings a deep understanding of how automation, AI, and practical engineering intersect on real farms.



Links:
🔗 Visit Farmblox: Farmblox
💼 LinkedIn: Farmblox
📷 Instagram: @farmbloxag
 
This episode is brought to you by Farm on Central:
For homesteads, flower farms, or berry operations, elderberries and willows are two excellent long-term crops to consider. Willows provide fast growth and beautiful stems, while elderberries deliver reliable, in-demand harvests year after year.
Farm on Central's cuttings are naturally grown, hardy, and easy to root in most climates—making them a great perennial investment for seasons to come.
Cuttings ship soon and quantities are limited. Order at shop.farmoncentral.com.

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 makes husk cherries one of the most surprising—and delightful—novelty crops on the farm?
In this Farm in Focus episode, Michael sits down again with Katie Baldwin and Amanda Merrow of Amber Waves Farm to talk about one of their favorite unconventional crops: husk cherries.
Known for their tropical flavor, long shelf life, and enthusiastic customer response, husk cherries are a crop many farmers overlook—but shouldn't. Katie and Amanda break down everything from seed starting to trellising to harvest strategies, along with their best tips for selling, storing, and cooking with this fun fruit.
Whether you're looking to diversify your market table or try something new in the garden, this episode offers accessible, practical insights for growing a crop that always sparks curiosity.
 
In this episode, you'll hear about:
Getting Started:
• Why husk cherries are a novelty crop customers get excited about [2:14]
• Their favorite varieties and what makes each unique [3:32]
Growing Practices:
• Seed starting tips and early care [4:10]
• Fertility needs and trellising techniques that improve plant health [6:54]
Flavor & Marketability: 
• How pricing reflects the labor involved in harvesting [13:30]
• Why their long shelf life makes them a smart market crop [14:30]
• Their signature "pineapple-grape" flavor profile [15:05]
• Why families—and kids especially—love growing and harvesting them [16:43]



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
 
This episode is sponsored by Farm on Central:
For homesteads, flower farms, or berry operations, elderberries and willows are two excellent long-term crops to consider. Willows provide fast growth and beautiful stems, while elderberries deliver reliable, in-demand harvests year after year.
Farm on Central's cuttings are naturally grown, hardy, and easy to root in most climates—making them a great perennial investment for seasons to come.
Cuttings ship soon and quantities are limited. Order at shop.farmoncentral.com.

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 really take to run a small, year-round local market?
In this Farm in Focus episode, Michael sits down with Emma de Long of Kneehigh Farm to talk about the creation and day-to-day operation of Red Dog Market, a year-round local food market in Pennsylvania.
Emma shares how Red Dog Market grew out of increased demand during the COVID-19 pandemic and how it has evolved into a community-centered outlet for her farm and other local producers. From staffing and sourcing to signage, POS systems, and regulatory considerations, Emma offers a candid look at the realities behind keeping fresh food accessible all year long.
Whether you're considering opening a farm store, expanding into retail, or simply curious about the behind-the-scenes work of local food markets, this episode offers practical, grounded insights from someone doing it every day.
 
In this episode, you'll hear about:
The Origin of Red Dog Market
• How COVID-19 accelerated demand for local food access [02:42]
• Why Kneehigh Farm serves as the market's anchor vendor [02:42]
Market Operations & Staffing
• Running a year-round market with a small, focused team [08:32]
• The role of a dedicated market manager and daily task division [08:32]
• Why maintaining fresh produce is "a puzzle every day" [14:39]
Sourcing & Vendor Relationships
• How Emma vets vendors—especially for meat and dairy products [12:25]
• The importance of building strong relationships with local producers [05:34]
• Balancing product variety with quality and consistency [12:25]
Systems, Marketing & Logistics
• The complexities of using POS systems for a small, hybrid market model [14:39]
• Effective signage and in-person marketing strategies [16:51]
• Leveraging existing farm share and CSA memberships to build traffic [16:51]
Advice for Aspiring Market Owners
• Why starting slow and understanding your costs is critical [16:51]
• Regulatory considerations every market owner should be aware of
• How community engagement shapes long-term success [20:40]



Bio:

Emma de Long is a farmer, educator, and fiber advocate based in Chester County, Pennsylvania. She founded Kneehigh Farm in 2013 and has since grown a diverse mix of vegetables, dye plants, and fiber crops. Since 2019, Emma has cultivated indigo for natural pigment extraction, and in 2020 she co-founded the Pennsylvania Flax Project, an initiative dedicated to rebuilding regional flax processing infrastructure. Kneehigh Farm operates as a 100% women-run operation, and in 2021 Emma opened Red Dog Market, a year-round outlet for farm goods and local products.



Links:
👩🏻‍🌾 Visit Kneehigh Farm's website: Kneehigh Farm
📷 Instagram: @kneehighfarm
👍 Facebook: @kneehighfarmCSA
🌾 Visit Red Dog Market's website: Red Dog Market
📷 Red Dog Market Instagram: @reddogmarketpa
👍 Red Dog Market Facebook: @reddogmarketpa
 
This episode is sponsored by Farm on Central:
For homesteads, flower farms, or berry operations, elderberries and willows are two excellent long-term crops to consider. Willows provide fast growth and beautiful stems, while elderberries deliver reliable, in-demand harvests year after year.
Farm on Central's cuttings are naturally grown, hardy, and easy to root in most climates—making them a great perennial investment for seasons to come.
Cuttings ship soon and quantities are limited. Order at shop.farmoncentral.com.

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
 
This episode is brought to you by shop.farmoncentral:
Looking for a unique, high-demand crop for your garden or farm? Farm on Central offers a wide selection of ginger and turmeric—two highly medicinal crops that are popular at farmers markets, with chefs, and among folks making their own wellness products.
These long-season crops thrive outdoors in southern climates, and growers in northern regions often succeed with them in tunnels or containers. Preorders are now open, with options ranging from seed rhizomes for adventurous growers to easy-to-grow started plants.
Shop the full collection at shop.farmoncentral.com.

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. 


Can one grass-fed cow truly become the heart of a food-independent farm?
In this Farm in Focus episode, Michael sits down with Shawn and Beth Dougherty, authors of One Cow Revolution, to talk about how a single dairy cow can transform a farm's productivity, resilience, and relationship with the land.
Drawing from decades of experience, the Doughertys explain why grass—not grain—is the foundation of sustainable dairy systems, how ruminants build soil fertility while producing food, and what new cow owners need to understand before bringing a milk cow home. This conversation blends philosophy with deeply practical advice, offering a grounded look at low-input, grass-based farming.
Whether you're dreaming of a family milk cow or simply curious about food independence, this episode offers timeless insights rooted in observation, experience, and respect for animals and land.
 
In this episode, you'll hear about:
The One Cow Revolution
Why Shawn and Beth felt compelled to write One Cow Revolution [01:40]
How cows fit into a sustainable, food-independent farm system [01:40]
Grass, Ruminants & Soil Health
Why grass is the most important resource on the farm [03:34]
How ruminants improve soil fertility while producing food [03:34]
Advice for New Cow Owners
Why starting small is critical for success [07:50]
How temporary electric fencing makes land integration easier [07:50]
Why observation matters more than rigid systems [07:50]
The Abundance of a Dairy Cow
Just how much food one cow can provide [13:34]
Using milk to feed other animals and increase farm productivity [13:34]
Common Mistakes & Lessons Learned
Where new cow owners often underestimate feed needs [16:14]
Why practical experience matters more than theory [16:14]
Why milking is simpler than many people expect [16:14]

 
About the Guests:
Shawn and Beth Dougherty have been homesteading together since 1985, for the past 35 years in northern Appalachia. They raise dairy and beef cows, pigs, and poultry on a small acreage designated by the state of Ohio as "not suitable for agriculture." The Doughertys write, teach, and speak on holistic grazing and inputs-free farming, using grass-fed ruminants to restore abused land and build fertile, resilient farmsteads. They are the authors of One Cow Revolution, The Independent Farmstead, and The Independent Farmstead's Field Guides to Inputs-Free Farming series.



Links:
🐄Visit Shawn & Beth's website: One Cow Revolution
📷 Instagram: @shawnandbeth
📚Their books: One Cow Revolution and The Independent Farmstead
 
This episode is brought to you by Farm on Central:
Looking for a unique, high-demand crop for your garden or farm? Farm on Central offers a wide selection of ginger and turmeric—two highly medicinal crops that are popular at farmers markets, with chefs, and among folks making their own wellness products.
These long-season crops thrive outdoors in southern climates, and growers in northern regions often succeed with them in tunnels or containers. Preorders are now open, with options ranging from seed rhizomes for adventurous growers to easy-to-grow started plants.
👉  Shop the full collection at shop.farmoncentral.com.