Plain Values Podcast

In this episode of the Plain Values Podcast Marlin meets Ben Garrett, a woodworker (though he failed at that), pastor, writer, podcaster, and bigfoot researcher. Ben is the pastor at Refuge Church in Ogden, Utah, the co-host of the Haunted Cosmos podcast, and author of the book Killing Lust: Fighting for Purity in a Pornographic Age . Ben begins the episode talking about how he came to Utah and Re...

Where does the name “Plain Values” come from? The magazine was started 14 years ago within the Plain Community. Marlin himself was born Amish and still has many Amish family members. Though Marlin is no longer Amish, these “plain values” are rooted deeply within him and the brand he created.  While reading in Romans, Marlin had a “light bulb” moment where he realized that God is always revealing t...

In this episode of the Plain Values Podcast Marlin finally sits down with Daniel Salatin—son of “the most famous farmer in America.”  The conversation begins with Marlin asking Daniel about his childhood. Daniel reminisces of his very normal years on the farm, long before fame and documentaries placed his dad in the spotlight. His dad's love of literature, as well as his many roles in the massive...

Do you have a story to tell? A story of miraculous nature or of ordinary faithfulness? A story of life and love, of grief and pain? The Plain Values podcast is here for stories such as these. Stories from people who have been through it, and despite the odds come out grateful on the other side.  If this story is yours, or if you know someone who Marlin should meet, please email us at reachout@plai...

In this episode of the Plain Values podcast, Marlin sits down a second time with Joel Salatin to discuss several cultural hot potatoes like Big Pharma, Big Ag, Big tech, and how Christians should think about these things. They also discuss several Christian mandates around business, animal care, the elderly, and how we should view death.  They begin by discussing what Joel considers to be the bigg...

Marlin had never shot a deer before. His friend took him hunting for another chance at his luck. They were talking, laughing, and rattling some antlers to try to lure the deer in. They must have been doing more talking than hunting for they didn’t even notice when they had brought in a nice shooter buck. They only noticed when Marlin finally laughed a little too loud and the buck took notice of th...

A tech company is scanning millions of old, rare books and then destroying them in the name of technological advancement. What happens when we destroy real things and replace them with digital versions? We will never again know the originals. Marlin shares of his love of books and the libraries that hold them. The Library of Congress is the biggest library in the world with 164 million items prese...

In this episode of the Plain Values Podcast, Marlin continues his conversation with Larry from Pure Gift of God. What began as a simple fundraising and mentoring effort in 2013 has grown into something far deeper… therapy services, TBRI training, family support groups, and practical help for adoptive and foster families who refuse to walk alone. Larry shares how the hard parts of adoption rarely e...

On Wednesday, July 22, 2026, friends and neighbors gathered at Plain Values HQ in Winesburg for an intimate house concert with singer-songwriter Chris Slaten, known as “Son of Laughter.” The evening was intentionally small and cozy, the kind of night where the music feels personal and the stories land deeply. Chris filled the space with thoughtful, theologically rich songs that explore faith, rede...

In this episode of the Plain Values Podcast , Marlin sits down with Chris Slaten (better known as Son of Laughter) a Chattanooga musician, English literature teacher, husband to Lindsay, and father of three. What unfolds is a rich, unhurried conversation about art, grace, storytelling, and the quiet work of faithfulness. Chris traces the origin of his stage name to Sally Lloyd-Jones’s Jesus Storyb...

Have you ever heard the phrase “no two snowflakes are alike”? Marlin shares the fascinating story of Wilson “Snowflake” Bentley, a self-educated farmer from Jericho, Vermont. In 1885, Bentley became the first person to successfully photograph a single snow crystal. He went on to take thousands of photographs of individual snowflakes and never found two that were exactly the same. His work was publ...

In this episode of The Plain Values Podcast …  Some stories remind us that humble beginnings and faithful stewardship can lead to extraordinary places. Ernie Hershberger grew up the oldest of eight in Walnut Creek, Ohio. His dad was a mechanic, and Ernie followed him into the shop, learning the craft of building from raw lumber.  In 1990, he and his wife Barb took a leap and opened a small furnitu...

In 1976, Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis declared an Adoption Week to promote awareness of the need for fostering and adoption. In 1984, President Ronald Reagan expanded it nationally. Marlin reflects on Reagan’s powerful words from that time, which still ring true today: “Families have always stood at the center of our society… At a time when many fear that the family is in decline, it is...

In this episode of the Plain Values Podcast , Marlin finishes his conversation with Kevin Hewitt, a longtime foster-care worker whose decades of walking alongside families have given him a deep well of stories… and an even deeper trust in God’s redemptive power. Kevin’s point is simple and profound: we often measure foster care (and life) by short timelines. God sees the long arc. He can redeem wh...

Marlin and his daughter Adelaide were sitting on a bench watching the birds when a tiny gnat started buzzing around. Adelaide, who has Down syndrome, suddenly stopped talking and with every ounce of her being looked at her dad with huge eyes and said, “Oh, daddy, bee!” Marlin lives for those sweet, simple moments. Life is full of big questions and struggles… feeling unworthy, comparing ourselves t...

In this episode of the Plain Values Podcast , host Marlin Miller sits down with Roc Baker to trace a life forged in West Virginia hills, Ohio oil fields, and deep family roots.  From his father’s hard-earned lessons in the tool-dressing days to raising six boys, Roc shares the gritty, grounded wisdom that shaped him. The talk flows naturally into the healing power of art. Roc recounts painting hos...

Marlin reflects on the powerful imagery Jesus used when talking about the shepherd and his sheep. He recently became a shepherd himself, and he’s seen firsthand how sheep know their shepherd’s voice. When the shepherd calls, the whole flock comes running. Jesus told the story of the shepherd who leaves the 99 sheep to go after the one that is lost. Marlin notes how easy it is to read that passage...

In this episode of the Plain Values Podcast , host Marlin Miller sits down with Conrad Fisher, musician, producer, and founder of Ragamuffin Hall studio, for a rich conversation about creativity, faith, family, and the tension between art and conservative culture. Conrad shares his upbringing in a conservative Mennonite church where his parents, despite the setting, encouraged his musical gifts fr...

A friend shared a powerful story with Marlin. He told him about a soldier-turned-missionary who was recruiting people to join him in one of the hardest, most dangerous places imaginable. When some expressed hesitation, the missionary looked at them and said, “Oh, I get it. You’re afraid to die.” Needless to say, they went. Marlin reflects on how that bold response hits home. Most of us have a thou...

In this deeply personal episode of the Plain Values Podcast , John Moody joins Marlin to share his remarkable story of redemption, resilience, and resistance. John grew up in Youngstown, Ohio during the devastating collapse of the Rust Belt. His family was shattered by divorce, alcoholism, and hardship. As a latchkey kid, life was chaotic. When his mother was diagnosed with cancer during his junio...

Grief is the price of love. That line, shared from the pulpit at a funeral, made Marlin pause and reflect. It caused him to consider how often we hold back from deep relationships out of fear of getting hurt. We were built for genuine connection, Marlin reminds us. Yet most of our daily interactions stay surface-level (“I’m fine,” “Everything’s great”) because going deeper means risking vulnerabil...

In this moving episode of the Plain Values Podcast , Marlin sits down with Josh Troyer to share his remarkable journey of faith, resilience, and finding true identity in Christ. Born with proximal femoral focal deficiency, Josh was missing his right femur bone. At just two years old, he underwent rotationplasty, a radical surgery in which doctors amputated his leg at the hip, rotated it 180 degree...

When Marlin and his brother were boys, they lived for the dirt pile… the “strip mine” in their mother’s garden. Armed with toy Caterpillar dozers and loaders, they dug huge holes and built towering piles of dirt. To them, those small mounds were massive and larger than life. Their dad would sometimes take them to real strip mines where they got to ride in ginormous equipment. It was genuinely larg...

In this episode of The Plain Values Podcast , Marlin sits down with Dawn and Carson of Soda Farm to discuss their 20+ year journey of homesteading, natural health, and standing firm in their convictions. What began as a small beekeeping and herbal honey operation at Mockingbird Meadows evolved into functional sodas and a commitment to real food made from God’s creation. Dawn explains her deep conc...