C.A.G. Celebrates Women’s History Month with Ambra Melendez of Amagram Farms

Ambra is the owner/operator and founder at Amagram Farms. A female-owned and operated small legacy farmer, Ambra built this with the help of her daughter Ari, who is in charge of livestock and all animal husbandry, and her sister Janelle who is the CFO and is in charge of product development for the farm’s herbs and mushrooms.

Ambra started her career as an ironworker/welder by trade. Being in a male-dominated environment for over 20 years began to take its toll on her emotional well-being. After taking leave to heal from an injury, Ambra began gardening.

In pursuit of a bountiful organic garden, fungal systems became prevalent to her. The role mycelium plays in the life of soil, as well as bacteria, is an extremely important one to Ambra. She learned that if she feeds the soil what it needs, the soil will in turn feed and nurture the plants for her.

Fungi and bacteria are key to what connects humans, plants and animals. Ambra believes that the more we began embracing fungal systems and understanding their importance, the better our crops began to grow. This was the main catalyst and ultimately what was responsible for her decision to become a mushroom and soil farmer.

Ambra’s belief is, “if we can spread enough information about fungal systems and grow enough mushrooms, we can begin to replenish and rebuild the depleted soil on earth.”

Self-sustainability and legacy are Ambra’s main goals for 2022.