
Advertise on podcast: Recombination Nation
Rating
5from
This podcast has
96 episodes
Language
EnglishPublisher
Shane SimonsenExplicit
No
Date created
2024/10/30
Latest episode
2026/10/09
Average duration
77 min.
Release period
8 days
Description
Explore the intersection of evolution, ecology and civilisation with crop and livestock breeders, low input farmers, social engineers and a dazzling array of deep thinkers. Read more of Shane Simonsen's work at the Recombination Nation substack.
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Podcast episodes
Check latest episodes from Recombination Nation podcast
Regenerative Meat with Jacob Wolki
2026/10/09
Jacob Wolki is an innovator and advocate for regenerative farming, running a direct to consumer mixed livestock farm in rural Australia. We talk about the impact of animal genetics on the viability of such operations, and the impact of new technology on the perpetual challenge of marketing and sales.
Check out Wolki Farms website
Follow Jacob on twitter or Facebook.
Sign up to Recombination Nation on Substack for free weekly articles.
Read Shane's book, Taming the Apocalypse, about the future of post industrial biological technology.
Doomer Optimism with Ashley Fitzgerald
2026/10/02
Ashley Fitzgerald took the path less travelled, through a PhD on subsistence agriculture in the USA, to a stint of idyllic rural life in Uruguay, then back into the bubbling cauldron of American suburbia.
We discuss the lessons learnt from this life of creative and hopeful responses to the challenges of our time,
Follow Ashley on twitter
Subscribe to Doomer Optimism on substack
Or catch their own interviews on YouTube or any major podcasting app.
Sign up to Recombination Nation on Substack for free weekly articles.
A paid subscription unlocks the archive of past posts.
Read Shane's book, Taming the Apocalypse, about the future of post industrial biological technology.
The Race to Save Crop Diversity with Stefan Schmitz from Crop Trust
2026/09/25
Stefan Schmitz is the executive director of Crop Trust, an international non-profit working to preserve crop genetic diversity and support food security across the globe. The organisation was a key contributor to the Svalbard seed vault along with countless similar organisations in less dramatic locations. We discussed the potential for amateur crop breeders to collaborate with large institutions.
Learn more about Crop Trust on their website and YouTube channel.
Sign up to Recombination Nation on Substack for free weekly articles.
Read Shane's book, Taming the Apocalypse, about the future of post industrial biological technology.
Spinning Silk from Shells with Emily Robison
2026/09/18
Emily Robison turned her lifelong passion for textile arts into a journey across the planet learning about diverse spinning and weaving traditions from Micronesia to the remote corners of the Mediterranean. We talk in depth about her experience exploring the dying craft of sea silk (spun from the holdfast threads of clams) and her efforts to adapt these techniques to new species in North America.
Check out an array of beautiful creations on Emily's Instagram.
Read more about the Sea Silk Project.
Check out the new short documentary film about my experimental farm.
Sign up to Recombination Nation on Substack for free weekly articles.
Read Shane's book, Taming the Apocalypse, about the future of post industrial biological technology.
A Lifetime of Potato and Tomato Breeding with Tom Wagner
2026/09/11
Tom Wagner is a legendary tomato and potato breeder who is eager to pass on his knowledge and material to other folks keen to carry on the tradition.
If you have some crop breeding experience and would like to take your practice to the next level, Tom is looking for serious collaborators to pass the torch onto. He is also interested in creating podcasts or video documentaries to capture his expertise and vision for the future. Tom is hoping to take on an assistant in Washington State and other locations he visits to facilitate this work. If this opportunity sounds interesting get in touch with Tom at thoswagner at yahoo dot com.
Check out Tom's potato forum at Tatermater
And the sister forum on Tomatoville
Check out the new short documentary film about Shane's experimental farm.
Sign up to Recombination Nation on Substack for free weekly articles. A paid subscription opens the archive, including the audiobook of Taming the Apocalypse.
You can also read Shane's book, Taming the Apocalypse, about the future of post industrial biological technology.
Architecture and Agriculture in Burma and Nepal with Damien Zumbroegel
2026/09/04
Damon Zumbroegel left behind a successful career in architecture in the USA to find the living roots of civilisation in rural Burma and the mountains of Nepal. We discuss how he inspired the locals to revive an exhausted piece of land on the banks of the mighty Irrawaddy river, the design principles behind monasteries and high end hotels, and the diverging fates of Nepal (which westernised) and Burma (which sustained its traditions).
Follow Damon's many adventures on X.
Check out the new short documentary film about my experimental farm.
Sign up to Recombination Nation on Substack for free weekly articles.
Read Shane's book, Taming the Apocalypse, about the future of post industrial biological technology.
Three Floating Staple Crops
2026/08/28
In my second solo episode I explore the potential for floating aquatic plants to produce staple carbohydrates, fat and protein in a way that could create a new kind of integrated agricultural package. I also had fun imagining the impact these crops could have in a warm and watery corner of the world in the not too distant future.
What novel domestications should I explore in future episodes?
If you enjoy this kind of content, then you will love Taming the Apocalypse- an exploration of the entire tree of life for untapped potential domestication.
Grab a copy of the ebook on Amazon, the audiobook on Kobo, or a paid subscription to my substack where the audiobook is in the archived posts.
Experimental Farming for the Win with Tanja Eskildsen
2026/08/22
Tanja Eskildsen fell in love with plants in chilly Denmark but unleashed their potential through low-input experimental farming on the sunny island of Majorca. We retrace her path learning to trial, select and breed crops for her challenging soil and extreme climate.
Check out Tanja's Substack.
And lots of gorgeous photos on Instagram.
Sign up to Recombination Nation on Substack for free weekly articles.
Read Shane's book, Taming the Apocalypse, about the future of post industrial biological technology.
Evolving Beyond Hope with Sci-Fi Author Peter Watts
2026/08/14
Peter Watts is a notorious science fiction author with a fascination of the outer edges of biology, fractured minds and a taste for the dark and confronting. We dive into the lessons the living world and our own nature can teach us when contemplating the destiny of this civilisation, our species and the fate of the planet.
Check out Peter's insightful blog and backlist (including many complete novels, free to read)
Sign up to Recombination Nation on Substack for free weekly articles.
Read Shane's book, Taming the Apocalypse, about the future of post industrial biological technology.
Applying Ethnobotany to Regen Ag with Ryan Huish
2026/08/07
Associate Professor Ryan Huish is an experienced ethnobotanist with experience in both North America and the South Pacific, who also runs his own experimental low input farm in the mountains of Appalachia. We explore the lessons from historical and traditional cultures' relationships to plants and landscapes and how that has influenced his own efforts to develop a truly sustainable local agriculture.
Learn more about his farm, book a tour or buy some seed.
Read more about his extensive research and teaching.
Sign up to Recombination Nation on Substack for free weekly articles.
Read Shane's book, Taming the Apocalypse, about the future of post industrial biological technology.
New Zealand, Energy Limits and Resilience with Nathan Surendran
2026/07/31
Nathan Surendran is an Engineer who moved from the UK to New Zealand in response to the terrible creaking sound coming from the heart of the world's industrial systems. There he has worked consistently to help local government prepare for the unfolding shocks and stresses in our planetary supply chain, which New Zealand sits on the very end of.
You can read Nathan's work at Energy and Resilience
Sign up to Recombination Nation on Substack for free weekly articles:
Read Shane's book, Taming the Apocalypse, about the future of post industrial biological technology.
A Route to Beaver Domestication
2026/07/24
In Shane's first solo episode, we explore the possible route to the domestication of the beaver and the potential benefits of developing a close relationship with this powerful ecosystem engineer.
Check out more novel domestications in my ebook Taming the Apocalypse
Audiobook available on Kobo
Audiobook also available via a paid subscription to the Recombination Nation Substack
Agricultural Magic with the Cunning Farmer Todd Elliott
2026/07/17
Todd Elliott is an experience market farmer who followed his passion for agricultural spiritual traditions deep into history, applied those lessons to his own surroundings, then wrote a book about his discoveries.
Read Todd's blog: https://thecunningfarmer.substack.com
Buy his book from the publisher: https://www.innertraditions.com/the-cunning-farmer
Or Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Cunning-Farmer-Agrarian-Practices-Mythology/dp/B0F1LQSDFC
Sign up to Recombination Nation on Substack for free weekly articles: https://recombinationnation.substack.com
Read Shane's book, Taming the Apocalypse, about the future of post industrial biological technology: https://www.amazon.com/Taming-Apocalypse-Shane-Simonsen-ebook/dp/B0D2XCLJ85/
The Russian Outlook on Industrial Decline with Dmitry Orlov
2026/07/03
Dmitry Orlov was a prominent voice in the early 2000s peak oil movement in response to his book "The Five Stages of Collapse", comparing the recent collapse of the USSR with the likely prospects of the USA under similar circumstances. He has since moved from the USA back to Russia, where he continues to monitor history as it unfolds. This conversation was a rare opportunity to delve into the Russian outlook on the state of the world from one of my favourite writers.
Sign up for Dmitry's blog: https://boosty.to/cluborlov
Watch his delightful Youtube videos: https://www.youtube.com/@DmitryOrlovAndClub
The Five Stages of Collapse: https://www.amazon.com/Five-Stages-Collapse-Survivors-Toolkit/dp/0865717362/
Sign up to Recombination Nation on Substack for free weekly articles: https://recombinationnation.substack.com
Read Shane's book, Taming the Apocalypse, about the future of post industrial biological technology: https://www.amazon.com/Taming-Apocalypse-Shane-Simonsen-ebook/dp/B0D2XCLJ85/
Zach Elfers- Tree Crops and the Organisations That Love Them
2026/06/26
Zach Elfers is a superstar in the agroforestry community, helping multiple innovative organisations develop both the crops and their uses. We talk about his work with hickory, honey locust and more, and their processing into value added products through collaborative groups.
Read his substack: https://zachelfers.substack.com/profile/posts
And his original blog: https://www.nomadseed.com
Check out his nursery: https://www.futureforestplants.com
The Keystone Tree Crop Cooperative: https://ktcc.coop
Tickets to the Northern Nut Growers Association conference: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/northernnutgrowersassociation1/2149900
Sign up to Recombination Nation on Substack for free weekly articles: https://recombinationnation.substack.com
Read Shane's book, Taming the Apocalypse, about the future of post industrial biological technology: https://www.amazon.com/Taming-Apocalypse-Shane-Simonsen-ebook/dp/B0D2XCLJ85/
Podcast reviews
Read Recombination Nation podcast reviews
unknowna1 2026/03/07
Knowledge seeker
A few of these episodes have already influenced me beyond the listen- from trial farming tomato varieties to writing about science and climate change,...
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