Recombination Nation

Shane talks to temperate tree crop breeder Alex Tanke about his work with persimmons and pecans/hickories, plus a whole bunch of other topics related to tree crops and the development of diverse and resilient food systems. Read more about Alex's work at his website: https://dispersionfarms.com Check out his Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@alextanke8963 And check out the activity on the N...

Shane talks to Justin Senryu-Williams about his extraordinary work to breed resilient, low input tomatoes for the soggy British climate through extensive outcrossing to wild tomato relatives. You can learn more about his work through his posts on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JustinSenryu https://www.facebook.com/groups/182244131939228 Find more of Shane’s work at: Zero Input Agriculture blog...

Shane talks with Thomas Stoughton about his extensive field work studying the spring beauties (Claytonia species) a diverse group of plants with enormous untapped domestication potential and a host of weird genetic tricks. They also dive into fungi- foraging, farming and domestication, and a host of other side track topics. You can read more about Thomas' work and see his beautiful botanical photo...

Shane talks to Gus Le Breton about his lifetime of exploring and promoting the vast array of useful edible and medicinal plants that grow Southern Africa and Madagascar. You're in for a rare ethnobotanical treat! You can learn more about Gus' work at the links below. Youtube channel with plant profiles and field trips: https://www.youtube.com/@AfricanPlantHunter Gus' main website- https://africanp...

Shane talks to Weston Adams about his fascinating work breeding crops at Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, including an ambitious project producing intergeneric hybrids of sunflowers. You can reach out to Weston at Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/weston.adams.921 Or send him an email- Weston.a@rareseeds.com Find more of Shane’s work at: Zero Input Agriculture blog: https://zeroinputagriculture.substa...

Shane talks with Nathaniel from the Ozark Mountains about his extensive work adapting Korean Natural Farming practices to his corner of the world, scaling sorghum as a zero input staple crop, and the thriving community networks which have grown stronger in response to economic stresses. Read more about Nathaniel's work in this essay: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TkJXkxtg3Xkukre3L4SqY7372jDsdB4...

Shane talks to Mark W. Kidd about preserving the cushaw squash in Appalachia, growing crops with minimal inputs in remote rural areas, and revitalising communities in the wake of contraction. The Commonwealth Cushaw Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/commonwealthcushaw Join a cushaw squash workshop in May: https://cushawguide.handbarrow.org/ Check out the Going to Seed forum where Mar...

Shane talks to Kahlil Corazo, a writer, thinker, entrepreneur and former agricultural researcher from the Phillipines about psychofauna, technocapital, the past and future of cacao and a whole bunch of other fascinating topics. You can read more of Kahlil's writing at his substack blog: https://www.explorations.ph And his article on psychofauna: https://www.theseedsofscience.pub/p/psychofauna-stud...

Shane talks to Michael Longfield about his extensive work developing syntropic agriculture systems in the central USA, tapping into an impressive range of local and introduced plant genetics. You can learn more about Michael's work at Interwoven Permaculture: https://interwovenpermaculture.com And get more regular updates and contact through: https://www.facebook.com/InterwovenPermaculture Check o...

Shane interviews Nikomiko about his involvement in the creation of Viossa, a pidgin language that was constructed in online chat rooms through playful interaction in any language except English and which has since grown into a thriving community. We discuss the wild world of constructed and evolving languages, and play with ways that new languages could help build new cultures in this volatile tim...

Shane talks to Richard Goerwitz about his remarkable role as head gardener for the East Wind Intentional Community. Richard's work occupies an unusual niche, somewhere between home gardener and market gardener in scale and that includes opportunities for crop breeding with an army of taste testers at his disposal. East Wind is one of the oldest intentional communities in the USA which also hosts a...

Shane talks to Dr Eugene McCarthy once more, delving into his astonishing theory about the possible hybrid origin of humans (and not the recent discoveries about mixing of modern humans with neanderthals and their kin). Eugene has assembled a compelling body of evidence that our chimp like ancestors may have hybridised with the humble pig, accounting for a long list of unusual human traits that ar...

Shane talks to Gregg about his long journey through breeding a wide range of crops in his challenging Mediterranean climate in southern Australia. We also compare notes on the challenges of creating local crop breeding groups and discuss fresh approaches. Check out Gregg's incredible range of seeds for sale: https://www.usefulseeds.com Join Gregg's local crop breeding group on Facebook: https://ww...

Shane talks to Fedor Steeman about the limits of evolving and engineering life itself. Check out more of Fedor's amazing videos on speculative biology at Phrenotopia- https://www.youtube.com/@Phrenotopia The origin of animal body plans - https://youtu.be/3Gql2iyY5Gw?si=lCEY3vtmibvfYaFG You can find more of Shane’s work at: Zero Input Agriculture blog: https://zeroinputagriculture.substack.com Tami...

Shane talks to Salvatore Ceccarelli about his incredible contribution to the preservation and reinvigoration of ancient landrace crop genetics in the Middle East and Europe, putting diverse mixes of ancient grains back into the hands of farmers and bakers throughout the region. You can read more about Salvatore's work at- https://salvatorececcarelli.wordpress.com (translation into English might be...

Shane revisits an old substack post reviewing Fukuoka's "One Straw Revolution", comparing his experiences as an experimental farmer to those of one of the founders of this philosophy. You can find more of Shane’s work at: Zero Input Agriculture blog: https://zeroinputagriculture.substack.com Taming the Apocalypse ebook - https://www.amazon.com/Taming-Apocalypse-Shane-Simonsen-ebook/dp/B0D2XCLJ85/...

Shane talks to Dr Eugene McCarthy about his lifetime studying the importance of hybridisation in the creation of new forms of life (usually called speciation). This is part of a three episode series with Dr McCarthy, Part 2 will investigate his thought provoking pig-chimp hypothesis, and part 3 will cover implications and applications of hybrid speciation theory. Read all about Dr. McCarthy's work...

Shane reflects on his oldest vegetable landrace crop, the humble shallot or spring onion (Allium fistulosum), an indispensable fresh leafy vegetable that deserves a place in just about every warm climate garden. The general principles and steps in developing your own landraces are explored, plus the numerous long lasting benefits. You can find more of Shane’s work at: Zero Input Agriculture blog:...

Shane talks to Jason about his extraordinary passion for breeding diverse, aromatic and hardy basil that goes so far beyond the common leafy green type most people know. Check out more of Jason's work at the links below The Basically About Basil main page where you can buy diverse basil seed and select plants https://basicallyaboutbasil.com The highly informative Basically About Basil Youtube chan...

Shane argues for the advantages of direct sowed seed over transplants, and outlines the key ingredients to achieve success sowing your own seed where it will grow. You can find more of Shane’s work at: Zero Input Agriculture blog: https://zeroinputagriculture.substack.com Taming the Apocalypse ebook - https://www.amazon.com/Taming-Apocalypse-Shane-Simonsen-ebook/dp/B0D2XCLJ85/ Taming the Apocalyps...

Shane talks to Professor Ugo Bardi about his recent book "Exterminations: Preparing for the Unthinkable" about the limits to growth and social, cultural and political responses to civilisational collapse. Check out more of Professor Bardi's work. Exterminations: Preparing for the Unthinkable The Seneca Effect

This episode calculates the minimum area of land needed to provide water, calories, protein and vegetables to a perfectly efficient human being under industrial and preindustrial circumstances. What would such a society look like? Luckily we have a real life example to explore. You can find more of Shane’s work at: Zero Input Agriculture blog: https://zeroinputagriculture.substack.com Taming the A...

Shane chats with Evalisa McIllfaterick about her collaborative watermelon breeding project in chilly Canada. Evalisa's Market Farm- Root Cellar Gardens: rootcellargardens.com Superior Seed Producers (the local seed collective mentioned): https://superiorseedproducers.wordpress.com/ Lakehead University Sustainable Food Lab/ Breeding Diversity, Community, and Health: Mobilizing Landrace Seeding Bree...

This episode reviews the book "Agriculture of the Hidatsa" which can be read for free online . Rare first hand accounts of pre-industrial agriculture are a valuable resource for anyone contemplating the nitty gritty details that lie ahead for those forced to develop post-agricultural systems.

Shane interviews Professor Porcupine about the ways that young people without access to their own land can nevertheless get involved in crop breeding and low input agriculture. You can find more of Shane’s work at: Zero Input Agriculture blog: https://zeroinputagriculture.substack.com Taming the Apocalypse ebook - https://www.amazon.com/Taming-Apocalypse-Shane-Simonsen-ebook/dp/B0D2XCLJ85/ Taming...