PODCAST · education
Doomer Optimism
by Doomer Optimism
Doomer Optimism is a podcast dedicated to discovering regenerative paths forward, highlighting the people working for a better world, and connecting seekers to doers. Beyond that, it's pretty much a $hitshow. Enjoy!
Episodes
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DO 314 - Southeastern Grasslands Institute with Dwayne Estes and Peter Allen
I met Dwayne at a chance encounter at the Aspen Ideas festival in Chicago which my new buddy Samuel Kimbriel invited me to attend. I was feeling a little lonely and alienated there, lots of technocrats, and up to me walks Dwayne who saw my tag said optimism and he said “I am just about the most...
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DO 313 - Stephen Adubato from Cracks in Postmodernity
I met Stephen this summer at the Woodcrest Bruderhof + DO + Savage Collective event in NY. Alan from Plough suggested Stephen for a panel and he instantly agreed! He gave a fantastic talk about the wonderful characters in his neighborhood, and the very real sense of place that happens when you...
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DO 312 - Wendell Berry Retrospective with Jason, Ashley, Nate and Donald
Jason initiated this get together of some of the original DO crew to discuss the life, work and legacy of Wendell Berry. It is no secret that Berry’s work has been an animating force for nearly everyone orbiting DO, especially those of us interested in food and ag systems. We discuss not only the...
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DO 311 - Mike Healy Manufacturing Community
Every once in a while someone comes into the DO world and it is so clear how well they fit in it’s amazing you hadn’t found them yet! This is true of Mike, Chicagoan, Northsider (boo!), who has a vision for how to make good things in the world and is working to do so. Right now that looks like a...
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DO 310 - Chapter House with Josh and Hannah Centers
This episode explores how Josh and Hannah Centers built Chapter House, a publishing project designed to restore beautiful, culturally literate children’s books to homeschool families. From Homer and Shakespeare to Beowulf, Greek myth, and Our Island Story, they explain why classic literature…
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DO 309 - Bill Kauffman
"But at Least They're Human: Face-to-Face Living -- With Joy and Without Illusions"From the conference: Another Life is Possible co-organized by the Woodcrest Bruderhof community, Doomer Optimism and Savage Collective, July 2026https://doomeroptimism.substack.com/p/do-308-bill-kauffman
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DO 308 - Growing Pecans with Lenny Wells
Tom and Jason talk to Lenny Wells - pecan farmer and extension agent - about growing pecans in Georgia, the cultural and ecological factors. Along the way we also discuss: -how he got into pecans -his book on pecans -consulting with a pecan farmer in Spain -his love for Wendell Berry, and...
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DO 307 - Microcolleges with Jacob Hundt
In this episode Ashley and Jacob discuss the concept of microcolleges, and examples of alternative educational models writ large. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro: Exploring education, community, and sustainability 02:27 - How a class on sustainable development shifted a life trajectory 04:02 - Higher...
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DO 306 - Building New Athens with Jackson Solway
Movetonewathens.com TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Introducing the idea of building a city from scratch to address societal doom 02:08 - Jackson’s background in tech and recruitment influencing city planning 03:03 - The role of ambition and ecosystem understanding in city development 06:20 - How tech…
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DO 305 - Orthodox Masonry
Patrick Lemmon and Seth Harris In this episode, Patrick and Seth discuss the principles of traditional and orthodox building methods, the importance of local materials, and the future of sustainable construction. They explore how craftsmanship, local culture, and thoughtful design can create...
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DO 304 - Courtyard Urbanism with Alicia Pederson
In this episode, Alicia Pederson, founder of Courtyard Urbanist, takes us on a fascinating journey from ancient Rome to today’s urban development roadblocks. She explains how courtyard-based architecture can address housing shortages, social isolation, and environmental concerns—all while…
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DO 303 - AI, Existential Risk, and the Future of the Human Soul
AI, Existential Risk, and the Future of the Human Soul
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DO 302 - Starting a Farm and a Farm Store on Main Street
Geoffrey Long of Long Story Farms joins Jason to talk about what it actually takes to build a working farmstead part-time, the real challenges of scaling production and finding local markets, and why he thinks a permanent storefront can do what farmers' markets can't. We also get into his...
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DO 301 - Open Source Civilization: Marcin Jakubowski of Open Source Ecology
When Your Tractor Breaks, Open Source the Whole Civilization Marcin Jakubowski, founder of Open Source Ecology, joins Ashley to talk about his 20-year project to open source the blueprints for civilization, starting with a broken tractor on a Missouri farm and expanding into a full Global Village...
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DO 300 - Celebrating 300 Episodes of Doomer Optimism
Three hundred episodes in, and we’re still here, still questioning, still laughing, still building. In this special 300th episode, we gather voices from across DO; past guests, hosts, collaborators, and community members, to reflect on what this experiment has meant to us. What began as a space…
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DO 299 - Small Scale Production, Henry George, and the Land Value Tax
Willy Denner of Little Seed Gardens in Chatham, NY, joins Jason and returning co-host Nigel Best for a wide-ranging conversation about 32 years of small-scale organic farming, the economics of direct market production, and the political philosophy of Henry George. Willy shares how he and his…
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DO 298 - The Wool Empire, Faith, and Local Business
Jason is joined by Greg Cello to discuss his plan to build a regional wool industry in New England, starting with sheep on his Rhode Island homestead. This isn't just about producing sweaters; Greg sees sheep farming as a way to revive the cooperative spirit that once defined rural communities,...
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DO 297: Mulberries in the Rain: Permaculture, Crisis, and Building Food Systems for the Future
How patient design and ideological diversity are reshaping food production Ashley sits down with Ryan Blosser and Trevor Piersol, co-founders of Shenandoah Permaculture Institute and authors of Mulberries in the Rain, to explore permaculture beyond the stereotype of backyard herb spirals. We...
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DO 296: Building Community in Fragmented Times
Ashley Fitzgerald sits down with Elizabeth Oldfield to explore how we can foster genuine connection across ideological and cultural divides and why it matters more than ever. Drawing on Elizabeth’s experience leading the Theos think tank, hosting the acclaimed podcast The Sacred, and living in an...
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DO 295 - Navigating the Evolution of Meat Production with Greg Gunthorp & Nate
Surviving Consolidation, One Pig at a Time Greg Gunthorp, a fourth-generation Indiana hog farmer, joins Nate for a wide-ranging conversation about survival, stubbornness, and adaptation in the American meat industry. Greg grew up raising pigs on pasture as part of a diversified family farm, using...
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DO 294 - Rural Revival and the USDA with Nate and Jason Mauck
Nate sits down with Jason Mauck to discuss his hard-won experience running Munsee Meats, a small-scale meat processing operation in Indiana. What started as an opportunistic response to empty shelves during COVID became a two-and-a-half-year battle with regulatory bureaucracy that ultimately...
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DO 293 - Antitrust Law, Beef Politics, and Actually Using Government Power
Antitrust attorney Basel Musharbash discusses recent political whiplash in beef markets and the broader question of how actually to enforce anti-monopoly law. The conversation covers why ranchers erupted over being blamed for high beef prices, the history of promises versus lackluster execution...
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DO 292 - Breaking the Beef Cartel: Mike Callicrate on Monopoly Power, Maker-Owned Markets, and the Fight for Rural America
Welcome to Beef Week! 🐄 Nate sits down with rancher, entrepreneur, and farm advocate Mike Callicrate for a deep dive into the crisis facing America's cattle industry—and the path forward.Mike traces the devastating consolidation of the beef industry from the 1980s to today, explaining how we…
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DO 291 - Building an Edible Perennial Nursery with Nick Wrenn of Living Soil Tree Farm
Building an Edible Perennial Nursery with Nick Wren Nick Wren of Living Soil Tree Farms joins Jason to talk about the practical realities of starting and running an edible perennial nursery. Nick shares his journey from civil engineering to tree farming, explaining why he became passionate about...
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DO 290 - Distributism, Local Commons, and Agrarian Futures with Chris Smaje
Jason and Ashley welcome back Chris Smaje to discuss his new book, “Finding Lights in a Dark Age,” now available for purchase. Chris is a returning guest who first appeared on the podcast to discuss his influential book “Small Farm Future,” which helped shape many of the show’s conversations…
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DO 289 - Beef, Bartering, and the Agorist's Guide to Not Starving with Nigel, Nate, and Jason
Nigel Best doesn’t have time for your bullshit. He’s too busy welding gates, rotating cattle, building spiral staircases, and conducting “illicit beef transactions” in Craigslist parking lots. Missouri woodworker and regenerative rancher Nigel Best joins Jason and Nate to talk about what it...
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DO 288 - Beyond Interchangeability: Leah Sargeant on the Dignity of Dependence
Why We Need Each Other More Than Ever https://undpress.nd.edu/9780268210335/the-dignity-of-dependence/ https://www.compactmag.com/article/the-great-feminization/ Ashley welcomes back Leah Sargeant to discuss her new book, The Dignity of Dependence: A Feminist Manifesto. They explore two core...
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DO 287 - Graze Against the Machine: Breaking Up Big Ag, Rewilding America, and the Future of Food
Fresh from dinner with Wendell Berry in Kentucky, the crew discusses Paul Kingsnorth’s new book and the deep tensions in American agriculture. From Trump’s controversial beef deal with Argentina to the packing monopolies squeezing ranchers, we explore why our food system prioritizes industrial...
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DO 286 - Building a Regenerative Landscaping Business with Tres of GreenBox Homes
Creating member networks, local food systems, and recession-proof community infrastructure Jason talks with Tres, co-founder of GreenBox Homes, about creating a regenerative landscaping company that competes with traditional lawn care services. They discuss the business model of providing weekly...
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DO 285 - AI and The 95% Extinction Threshold
AI safety researcher Nate Soares explains why he believes there's at least a 95% chance that current AI development will lead to human extinction, and why we're accelerating toward that outcome. Soares, who has been working on AI alignment since 2012, breaks down the fundamental problem: we're...
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DO 284 - Group Chat Live
Join the Doomer Optimism crew for their first-ever live group chat as they tackle the big questions facing our technologically saturated world. Ashley, Nate, Jason, Peter, and Patrick gather to discuss Paul Kingsnorth’s new book Against the Machine, the creeping influence of AI in our daily…
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DO 283 - Kevin Ryan's Grassroots Run for Illinois
Ashley talks with Kevin Ryan, a Marine Corps veteran and public school teacher running for U.S. Senate in Illinois without corporate donors, consultants, or ad buys. Kevin describes his campaign from a converted school bus as he travels to all 102 counties, gathering signatures by hand and…
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DO 282 - John Heers and Ashley on Learning Humility from Georgian Dinners and Forgotten Villages
Against efficiency and isolation: learning humility from forgotten communities and the ancient art of the Georgian feastJohn Heers, founder of First Things Foundation, joins Ashley to discuss his unconventional approach to international development—sending people to live humbly in forgotten...
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DO 281 - Tucker Max's Journey to Radical Self-Sufficiency with Dr. Chris Ellis
Dr. Chris Ellis interviews Tucker Max, who shares his transformative journey from bestselling author to homesteader, focusing on resiliency and self-sufficiency. Tucker discusses the impact of COVID-19 on his beliefs and actions, emphasizing the importance of family involvement in homesteading…
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DO 280 - Building Resilience in Modern Society with Dr. Chris Ellis and Jonathan Rawles
Generational Perspectives on Preparedness with Dr. Chris Ellis and Jonathan RawlesDr. Chris Ellis sits down with Jonathan Rawles, mechanical engineer, author, and co-founder of Survival Realty, to explore how different generations approach preparedness and community resilience in an era of…
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DO 279 - Community, Bunkers, and the Future of Preparedness
What does it mean to be truly prepared in an uncertain world? Dr. Chris Ellis is joined by Bradley Garrett to explore the evolving landscape of resilient citizens and prepping communities, from the "Noah archetype" of community-focused preparedness to bunker communities like Vivos xPoint. The...
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DO 278 - Thriving Through Homesteading
Dr. Chris Ellis, author of "Resilient Citizens," sits down with homesteader and author Roxanne Ahern to explore how sustainable living practices build both personal and community resilience. Ahern, who wrote "Holistic Homesteading" after her own transformation from health struggles to...
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DO 277 - Joe Allen on Golems, Brahmas, and the Eternal Return
Joe Allen leads us on a journey through the Axial Age's profound wisdom traditions to uncover how ancient civilizations grappled with the same transhumanist dreams that captivate us today. From the bronze automaton Talos guarding Crete to the terrifying Brahmastra weapons of the Mahabharata, we...
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DO 276 - Peter Allen: How to Become a Keystone Species and Restore the Earth
What if everything we think we know about "natural" ecosystems is wrong? Peter Allen is a restoration ecologist and regenerative farmer, and learn how North America's pre-European landscapes weren't wild at all—they were sophisticated agricultural systems managed by Indigenous peoples for…
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DO 275 - Exploring Transhumanism with Ashley and Grayson
Ashley is joined by Grayson Quay, author of 'The Transhumanist Temptation' to explore the philosophical and ethical implications of transhumanism, its historical roots, and its intersection with modern ideologies. They cover the concept of natural law, the role of technology in shaping human...
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DO 274 - Kentucky, Catholicism, and Agrarian Revival
The Shire We Call Home Jason sits down with Tom Ruby and Alan Cornett to explore the profound influence of Wendell Berry on modern agrarianism, the surprising revival of Catholicism in America, and why the future might belong to those willing to get their hands dirty. From the rolling hills of...
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DO 273 - The Future of DO with Ashley, Jason, and James
In this episode, Ashley asks her two closest collaborators on Doomer Optimism – Jason on the podcast, and James on events – to think through what drew them to the project, lessons from what we’ve done so far, and where we could go from here.
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DO 272 - James, Basel, and The New Deal
Monopoly Power, New Deal Legacies, and the Fight for Real Economic Democracy James and Basel unpack the legacy of the New Deal, the tangled history of regulation, and the roots of today’s anti-monopoly movement. From egg prices and avian flu to Big Tech and corporate control of agriculture, they...
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DO 271 - The Machine with Paul Kingsnorth and Leighton Woodhouse
Paul Kingsnorth and Leighton Woodhouse in conversation for the Third Annual Doomer Optimism Campout at The Wagon Box.
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DO 270 - Leaving the 20th century w/ James, Donald and Ashley
Ashley, Donald, and James cover a lot of ground in this episode. They kick things off with the story of Leslie Peltier, a self-taught stargazer from Ohio, before diving into a deeper conversation about environmentalism. Donald raises concerns about how today’s climate discourse can feel…
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DO 269 – Engineering, education, empathy, and memetic warfare? Dr. Chuck Pezeshki & Josh
DO 269 – Engineering, education, empathy, and mimetic warfare? Dr. Chuck Pezeshki & JoshDr. Chuck is an engineering professor at Washington State University. He runs an engineering design studio for student projects and blogs on an exorbitantly wide range of topics at https://empathy.guru.Dr.…
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DO 268 - Matt P on DO
Can Humanity Keep Pace with the Technologies It Creates? Matthew Pirkowski joins Ashley Fitzgerald to unpack the complicated relationship between technology and humanity. They dive into the worlds of AI and cryptocurrency, exploring how these tools work—and how they shape our minds, societies…
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DO 267 - Doomer Optimism w/ Matt Smith + Graham Summers + Chris Ellis
Dr. Chris Ellis hosts Graham Summers and Matt, discussing various economic topics including market dynamics, investment strategies, and the role of metals in the current financial landscape. They explore the implications of monetary policy, the significance of gold and silver, and the potential…
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DO 266 - Ashley, Chris, and Jason
Chris Smaje and Jason Snyder make their triumphant return to DO to join Ashley to explore the concepts of 'strong gods' and 'weak gods' as articulated by NS Lyons, examining the historical context, implications of nationalism's resurgence, critiques of the strong gods argument, and the importance...
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DO 265 - Transition Engineering with Susan Krumdieck and Josh
Transition Engineering with Susan Krumdieck and Josh Susan Krumdieck (PhD, mechanical engineering) is a Professor at Heriot-Watt University in Scotland and is the foremost global proponent of the emergent discipline of Transition Engineering. Susan figured out “Doomer Optimism” before it was a...
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Doomer Optimism have?
Doomer Optimism currently has 313 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Doomer Optimism about?
Doomer Optimism is a podcast dedicated to discovering regenerative paths forward, highlighting the people working for a better world, and connecting seekers to doers. Beyond that, it's pretty much a $hitshow. Enjoy!
How often does Doomer Optimism release new episodes?
Doomer Optimism publishes regularly with 313 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Doomer Optimism?
You can listen to Doomer Optimism on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Doomer Optimism?
Doomer Optimism is created and hosted by Doomer Optimism.
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