Doomer Optimism

This is an interview Sean Blanda of Sabbatical did with Ashley on her approach to moving to Uruguay for a time when her kids were young. A write-up of the interview is here: https://sabbatical.email/interviews/ashley-colby-how-i-took-a-working-parent-sabbatical

Ashley speaks with Tessa Carman and her uncle Dwight about his journey to Guatemala from a small farming family in the Midwest. We discuss the push and pull of moving abroad, learning ecological farming, where to find home, and more.

In this election day special, Jason talks with Jon Council, candidate for County Commissioner 3 in Watauga County of Western NC (Jason’s home county) and Sarah Davis, his campaign manager, to talk about local issues in the region, including environmental protection, affordable housing for the working class, and mutual aid. In particular they talk about the impacts of Hurricane Helene in the region...

In this episode, Casey Spinks, editor at Front Porch Republic, and Ashley discuss philosophy, theology, and the challenges in contemplative and active lives. Casey Spinks is a contributing editor for Front Porch Republic. He lives with his family in Waco, Texas, where he teaches theology and philosophy at Baylor University. https://www.frontporchrepublic.com/author/caseyspinks/

Small Town Mayor James Decker w/ Ashley and Nate

In this episode, Nate talks with Robert Hirschfeld, the director of water quality at the Illinois Prairie Rivers Network. They discuss the water quality crisis in the midwest, chemical pollution in the water and air, pesticide drift, and why despite the common sense that everyone wants “clean air and clean water” we continue to allow polluters to destroy what should be a healthy commons. They also...

In this conversation, Jason talks with Rust Belt Kid (@rustbeltkid1 ) about the decline and signs of a potential revival of American manufacturing and agriculture. He talks about his experience growing up in the Midwest, his day job in manufacturing, his aspirations to become a farmer and early successes on his recent 20 acres, and ideas he has about combining the two in new and innovative ways, w...

Alice, Dylan, and Ashley discuss using government funds for regenerative agriculture, building bioregional food hubs, and their upcoming Heritage Food Festival this November. Alice Melendez- I was born in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains between Clay City and the rolling fields of central Kentucky. I grew up on the farm, went to small-town schools, and learned to drive on winding country...

In this emergency podcast, DO hosts discuss the upcoming US Presidential election as well as plans for yanking Western society back from the precipice of certain total destruction. The conversation doubles as a drinking game. Take a drink any time a host: refers to wokeness (approvingly or disparagingly) mis-pronounces “Kamala” uses a Star Wars or Lord of the Rings metaphor complains about Twitter...

In this episode we discuss Chris Smaje’s recent article: Off-grid: further thoughts on the failing renewables transition Chris can be found at chrissmaje.com and on Twitter at @‌csmaje

An excellent conversation on topics of mutual interest. Can be found on Twitter at @‌Hispeedlowdrug: Lightly brain damaged 6ft 2in white trash polymath I've heard all these stories about people with twitter connections meeting IRL and forming beautiful friendships and relationships. I would like that. I'm a mid 40's handyman with a strange bio and a young son in Western MA. Interested...

Austin and Nate discuss Austin’s recent book Barons, concerning consolidation and corruption in the food system. With a focus on the midwest, Austin and Nate discuss how the rise of industrial agriculture has degraded the heartland, how it was allowed to happen, who has been responsible, and most importantly, how to move forward with a different, more humane agriculture that values the health of p...

Arie and Jason meander through a conversation, loosely inspired by recent podcast topics, exploring various ideas. https://bothand.libsyn.com/20-whats-metamodern-with-linda-ceriello-greg-dember https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4iKUVpwwGA&t=11s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XBfoJx_8mg&t=1s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZKrhrb9oao&t=34s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4DmHZJu8UE&a...

In this episode, Ashley and Dougald discuss an event they are co-creating in Chicago over the weekend of September 14 and 15. They talk about the various experimentations on the margins they have been a part of over the years, many of the friends they have in common, Ashley’s experience hosting Dougald’s co-conspirator Paul Kingsnorth in Wyoming last year, and their plans for this upcoming retreat...

Paul McNiel and Ashley discuss the Wagon Box, their shared event with Paul Kingsnorth last year, and their upcoming event this Labor Day in Wyoming. Ashley asks Paul about his conception of the Wagon Box as a new vision of a campus: a place to not only learn, but enjoy fleeting moments of inspiration with fellow learners. You get the inside scoop on the event with Kingsnorth in this episode and an...

Today we sat down with four similar-minded folks to talk about our personal experiences with various Food Hub models. We let the conversation go free-form like we were sitting on the front porch at one of our farms and chatting with friends. It was a great and insightful conversation for all of us and we vowed to record another episode in the future to get updates on our respective projects.  Mega...

Ashley and Arie broadly discuss Goethean science, loconomy, and doomer optimism. This is part of a series of interviews where new hosts turn the mic on recurring DO hosts, like this one with Donald: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOyS9fAtSI8 Arie J. Dallas is a sometimes surrealist painter who wonders about the mystery of life and connection. He currently produces Popcorn Forest, an interview sho...

Here’s a link to buy the book (if you use the code ‘CUP20’ you can get 20% off) Here’s a link to the Nature article I mentioned Dana R. Fisher is a dynamic speaker and author who writes about activism, democracy and climate policy. Her most recent book, Saving Ourselves: from Climate Shocks to Climate Action was published in February 2024 by Columbia University Press.  She is the Director of the C...

Ashley talks with James of Michigan ( @michlakeshore ) about his adventure walking along the coast of Lake Michigan from his home all the way up the shore to the top of the state at Mackinac Bridge. They discuss the meaning of pilgrimages, the unexpected lessons, and how the journey reinforced James’ faith.

Cultural Renewal with Donald and Mike In this episode, the roles are reversed, and occasional first-time host Donald is interviewed by friend & DO fan, Mike. They discuss religion & spirituality, education, punk rock, veganism, literature, and Ancient Greek, circling around the question of how to bring about cultural renewal in their own lives. Donald lives in the Pacific Northwest with hi...

In this episode, Jason and Roland Gunn (@rolandgunntn ) talk with C. Sandbatch (@csandbatch ) about his project Ecologica Americana. With a focus on the South but more broadly generalizable to America, they weave in ecology, history, and politics to talk about paradigm change, shifting from rigid ideology to cybernetic mythology, breaking through the cultural ennui, and creating a future worth our...

In this episode, Jason talks with Dru Zucchino, executive director of the Tractor Food & Farms food hub in Spruce Pine, NC to talk about local food systems, the challenges that farmers face, local distribution, quantifying the value of local food, the cultural dynamics of local food, and much more

Jake Hubbard is a farmer at Brookhaven Farms, nestled in the mountains of Northeast Tennessee. Hex has a life-long passion for animal husbandry and sustainable farming and hopes to win others to his cause. You can find Jake at the following places: Website: https://brookhavenfarms.net/ Twitter: @‌brookhavenfarms Instagram: @‌brookhaven.farms TikTok: @‌Jacobhubbard0 Email: Jake@brookhavenfarms.net

Rich Bartlett joins Ashley to discuss the art of crafting co-created events. Discover the intricacies of collaboration, community engagement, and fostering inclusivity. Rich Bartlett co-founded tech co-op Loomio , community building network Microsolidarity , non-hierarchical management consultancy The Hum , and director of the social impact collective Enspiral . You can check out his newsletter he...

In this episode Ashley and Jason host Farahn Morgan (@farahnmorgan) to talk about her reporting on community pushback against lithium mining in North Carolina many other themes around ‘defending and cultivating land and people’