Plain Values Podcast

In this episode of the Plain Values podcast, Marlin sits down for a conversation spanning hundreds of years. John Miller has a few things to say about his anabaptist forefathers and the influence they’ve had on our lives today. John and Marlin cover many topics including John’s personal life and his unique reason for why he left the Amish, how he was accused by the bishop of murdering his own son,...

In this bonus episode of the Plain Values Podcast, Marlin and Carson Combs—a city planner for Licking County, Ohio—discuss the growth and multiplication of data centers across the country and the questions and concerns that they raise. How will these data centers impact resources such as water and energy now and in the long-term? What is actually true and what is still unknown about these centers?...

When you hear the name RuthAnn Zimmerman you think of homesteading. In today’s episode of the Plain Values Podcast , we hear the full story behind RuthAnn and Elvin’s journey to becoming one of the leading voices of influence in the modern homesteading movement. Long before social media and RuthAnn’s millions of followers knew of her, both Elvin and RuthAnn grew up in Pennsylvania in the Old Order...

In today’s bonus conversation from the Plain Values Podcast , Marlin talks with Carson Combs about AI, the danger it poses, and the consequences it brings. Carson questions the power that AI uses just to have information at your fingertips. It’s like any tool, the user’s intent dictates whether AI is used for good or evil. His long-term concern is that AI is another way for people to isolate and s...

In this episode of the Plain Values Podcast , Marlin sits down with Brian Troyer of Hope Bridge for a conversation about fostering communities and how Brian’s life led him into foster care ministry. They begin the conversation talking about Brian’s upbringing in a Hartville Mennonite family. At the age of 21, Brian lost a friend in a tragic softball accident. This experience woke him up to the lif...

In this episode of the Plain Values Podcast , Marlin sits down with Rachel Baker of the 99+1 Foundation. Rachel grew up in Holmes County but now lives in Oklahoma where she works for a foundation caring for young people who are aging out of the foster care system.  If a child enters the foster system above the age of ten, there is a very low chance of being adopted, and a very high chance of them...

In this Minute With Marlin , Marlin is joined by his friends, Jerry and Lynn Wright, all the way from “the bad half of Washington.” They met at a homesteading event a few years ago and hit it off quickly once they realized they had something in common—they both had loved ones with Down syndrome.  The golden nugget of wisdom in this episode comes from Jerry as he shares what his father told him whe...

In this episode of the Plain Values podcast, Dawn Combs joins Marlin for a conversation covering all the Big Corps–Big Ag, Big Food, Big Pharma, Big Chemical, Big Tech and beyond. Being practically neighbors with Scott’s and Nestlè corps, Dawn says she lives “ in the belly of the beast.” Then, just on the other side of Columbus sits Licking County which has drawn the attention of Big Tech. Data Ce...

In this episode of Minute with Marlin, Marlin traces the origins of the podcast all the way back to when his dad died, 15 years ago. A few months after Marlin’s dad passed, he, his brother, and his mom visited Arthur, IL for a large family reunion. Inevitably at some point, the stories of his dad began to flow, and Marlin wished the day would never end. Marlin’s vision when he began the podcast in...

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...