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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 Refuge Church. They discuss childhood, family, and parenting. Then they jump into the deep end discussing the spiritual realm, Bigfoot, mythology, scary stories, and what these should mean to us today.  What do we gain by talking about scary stories? Ben answers this question first by cautioning against an unhealthy fascination with the ugly. He goes on to say, “When you (in a measured and sober minded way) are exposed to the ugly, it gives you a greater appreciation for the beautiful. When you make adequate eye contact with the terrible lie, it gives you a much greater appreciation for the truth.”  Ben talks about “the cababasis of man.” The descent of man into death or the underworld, and the ascent out. In stories the character grows and learns something that could only come through that descent. Ben and Marlin also discuss materialism, AI, and Ben’s newest book, Killing Lust.  This book was written to be worked through alongside a mentor. Not an “accountability partner” or group of guys on the same level of maturity as the addict, but someone further along the journey who can call them out when needed. Anyone who struggles with lust, if they are in church, already has all the tools they need to overcome this sin. This book reminds us of those tools. They close in discussing Milton’s Adam in Paradise Lost and how even after his sin, he may have been the most joyful man who ever lived because he saw Christ and tasted salvific grace. Learn more about Plain Values at https://plainvalues.com 🔵 Where to find Ben: @tompawnbadil (X) newchristendompress.com/killinglust thehauntedcosmos.com Ben is the senior writer at New Christendom Press, Co-host of the Haunted Cosmos podcast, and Pastor at Refuge Church in Ogden, UT. 🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷 🤝THIS EPISODE’S PREMIERE SPONSOR: Rustic Strength Rustic Strength is the real deal. This hardworking family-owned company in Missouri makes high-quality, non-toxic laundry, home, and body care products in small batches… completely free from harsh chemicals, dyes, and synthetic junk you don’t want around your family. Learn more: https://rusticstrength.com/ 🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷 🤝THIS EPISODE’S FEATURED SPONSOR: Azure Standard Our friends at Azure Standard have been quietly setting the standard for clean, wholesome food since the 1970s. Family-owned and values-driven, they make it simple to fill your pantry with organic, non-GMO groceries, bulk staples, and household essentials delivered straight to your door or a convenient local drop point. Learn more: https://www.azurestandard.com 🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷 A great way to show support is to hit LIKE / SUBSCRIBE on this video, and most importantly, join the conversation in the COMMENTS below. We’d love to hear from you. 👉We have a beautiful magazine called Plain Values, sent quarterly ($49/year): https://plainvalues.com/pv-magazine-yt 👉To receive our FREE Plain Values emails: https://plainvalues.com/ 👉To find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plainvalues/ 👉To find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plainvalues/ 🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷 🎵 Hold My Hand - Sam Burchfield Recorded Live - Plain Values - Winesburg, OH Learn more about Sam: https://www.samburchfield.com/ 🎵 Other music - Soundstripe

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 to us new things and connecting new dots. Sometimes it just takes us a little while to see the bigger picture that He is painting.  Learn more about Plain Values at https://plainvalues.com 🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹 A great way to show support is to hit LIKE / SUBSCRIBE on this video, and most importantly, join the conversation in the COMMENTS below. We’d love to hear from you. 👉We have a beautiful magazine called Plain Values, sent quarterly ($49/year): https://plainvalues.com/pv-magazine-yt 👉To receive our FREE Plain Values emails: https://plainvalues.com/ 👉To find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plainvalues/ 👉To find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plainvalues/

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 chicken butchering operation, played a part in shaping Daniel's life.  The conversation moves on to some of the different programs Polyface has each year. Their Steward program brings many interesting people from all walks of life (including Veterans) to the farm, creating plenty of memorable stories.  Daniel’s favorite routine farming work happens in the cattle corral. He loves to see how certain farming methods, like the low stress technique and others, have been scientifically proven to bring about health and healing.  Daniel is a farmer and doesn’t think a whole lot about Artificial Intelligence, but he says, "You can't Google experience." AI gives facts but cannot give you the context of "talking story," which largely affects those facts. Daniel and Joel ask for prayer for the legacy of Polyface Farm. Not for the Salatin name but for the practices of healing and restoration of the land. Learn more about Plain Values at https://plainvalues.com 🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷 🤝THIS EPISODE’S PREMIERE SPONSOR: Rustic Strength Rustic Strength is the real deal. This hardworking family-owned company in Missouri makes high-quality, non-toxic laundry, home, and body care products in small batches… completely free from harsh chemicals, dyes, and synthetic junk you don’t want around your family. Learn more: https://rusticstrength.com/ 🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷 🤝THIS EPISODE’S FEATURED SPONSOR: Azure Standard Our friends at Azure Standard have been quietly setting the standard for clean, wholesome food since the 1970s. Family-owned and values-driven, they make it simple to fill your pantry with organic, non-GMO groceries, bulk staples, and household essentials delivered straight to your door or a convenient local drop point. Learn more: https://www.azurestandard.com 🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷 🤝THIS EPISODE’S FEATURED SPONSOR: Invited: Collection 001 If you're craving stories that restore faith in hard times, Invited: Collection 001 is a handpicked "best of" from Plain Values magazine… uplifting accounts of triumph, simple joys, adoption beauty, homesteading wisdom, and gospel-centered living. Learn more: https://plainvalues.com/invited 🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷 A great way to show support is to hit LIKE / SUBSCRIBE on this video, and most importantly, join the conversation in the COMMENTS below. We’d love to hear from you. 👉We have a beautiful magazine called Plain Values, sent quarterly ($49/year): https://plainvalues.com/pv-magazine-yt 👉To receive our FREE Plain Values emails: https://plainvalues.com/ 👉To find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plainvalues/ 👉To find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plainvalues/ 🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷 🎵 Hold My Hand - Sam Burchfield Recorded Live - Plain Values - Winesburg, OH Learn more about Sam: https://www.samburchfield.com/ 🎵 Other music - Soundstripe

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 [email protected]. Learn more about Plain Values at https://plainvalues.com 🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹 A great way to show support is to hit LIKE / SUBSCRIBE on this video, and most importantly, join the conversation in the COMMENTS below. We’d love to hear from you. 👉We have a beautiful magazine called Plain Values, sent quarterly ($49/year): https://plainvalues.com/pv-magazine-yt 👉To receive our FREE Plain Values emails: https://plainvalues.com/ 👉To find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plainvalues/ 👉To find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plainvalues/

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 biggest crisis in America–our tendency to accept without question the narratives that are fed to us. Joel shares his belief in the Christian mandate to question the given narrative and discover for ourselves the truth behind the lies.  Continuing on, they also discuss the rise and danger of communism in America, how Joel thinks about money, and his philosophies for growing his business. Does God care about the happiness of farm animals? If you’re a Christian, the answer is of course, yes. Joel poses the question, “If God cares about the chicken, how should this affect the way we raise them?” Christians are the salt of the world and are meant to stand out. From the way we raise our animals, to how we run our business, and all the relationships in between, we should look different from the world.  In issue 145 of Plain Values magazine, Joel wrote an article called “Postponing Heaven.” Marlin and Joel discuss this article and all the ways we ignore the realities of death in our culture. They close out the episode discussing life and death, and what Joel would like to do with his remaining time on earth.   Learn more about Plain Values at https://plainvalues.com 🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷 🤝THIS EPISODE’S PREMIERE SPONSOR: Rustic Strength Rustic Strength is the real deal. This hardworking family-owned company in Missouri makes high-quality, non-toxic laundry, home, and body care products in small batches… completely free from harsh chemicals, dyes, and synthetic junk you don’t want around your family. Learn more: https://rusticstrength.com/ 🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷 🤝THIS EPISODE’S FEATURED SPONSOR: Azure Standard Our friends at Azure Standard have been quietly setting the standard for clean, wholesome food since the 1970s. Family-owned and values-driven, they make it simple to fill your pantry with organic, non-GMO groceries, bulk staples, and household essentials delivered straight to your door or a convenient local drop point. Learn more: https://www.azurestandard.com 🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷 🤝THIS EPISODE’S FEATURED SPONSOR: Invited: Collection 001 If you're craving stories that restore faith in hard times, Invited: Collection 001 is a handpicked "best of" from Plain Values magazine… uplifting accounts of triumph, simple joys, adoption beauty, homesteading wisdom, and gospel-centered living. Learn more: https://homesteadliving.com/invited-collection-001/ 🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷 A great way to show support is to hit LIKE / SUBSCRIBE on this video, and most importantly, join the conversation in the COMMENTS below. We’d love to hear from you. 👉We have a beautiful magazine called Plain Values, sent quarterly ($49/year): https://plainvalues.com/pv-magazine-yt 👉To receive our FREE Plain Values emails: https://plainvalues.com/ 👉To find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plainvalues/ 👉To find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plainvalues/ 🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷 🎵 Hold My Hand - Sam Burchfield Recorded Live - Plain Values - Winesburg, OH Learn more about Sam: https://www.samburchfield.com/ 🎵 Other music - Soundstripe 318EAKWK3YLRWQIK XGP2ONZKO2TOQJQV #plainvalues #joelsalatin #lunaticfarmer

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 them. The buck spooked and ran away, and Marlin missed another chance at a nice buck. Marlin reflects on this story and realizes he has no regrets about losing out on that deer. He decides he treasures the memory of sitting in a tree stand with his cousin, laughing and losing a buck, more than he would antlers on a wall. He chooses relationships over trophies. Learn more about Plain Values at https://plainvalues.com

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 preserved in its walls. Marlin hopes to walk amongst those pages one day and would love to know which of his listeners have already been. Learn more about Plain Values at https://plainvalues.com

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 end when the paperwork is signed. Ongoing struggles surface, and Pure Gift responded by building a therapy center and bringing in trusted practitioners. Larry explains how trauma rewires a child’s brain and why traditional discipline often fails. The work is not about fixing kids with a magic tool. It is about helping parents understand the need behind the behavior, lower unrealistic expectations, and raise their acceptance.  He is honest: even those who know the principles still only get it right part of the time. Grace is required on every side. They talk about the loneliness many families feel, the weight on marriages, and the simple ways the wider community can show up (meals, respite, laundry, presence) without waiting to be asked. Larry’s dream is larger still: more space, educator training, and a community strong enough that fewer children age out without a family. The work is hard. The timeline is long. But the God who provides is still working on our behalf. Learn more about Plain Values at https://plainvalues.com Timestamps:   0:00 - Introduction 3:55 - Relying on God's Provision 12:26 - Funding the Mission 16:27 - What is TBRI? 23:50 - All Behavior is Explained With Enough Information 36:54 - Larry's Favorite Story 50:55 - Finding Healing by Lowering the Mask 1:03:07 - Remove the Pedestal 1:09:37 - The Fall Festival at Walnut Creek 🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹 🤝THIS EPISODE’S PREMIERE SPONSOR: Rustic StrengthRustic Strength is the real deal. This hardworking family-owned company in Missouri makes high-quality, non-toxic laundry, home, and body care products in small batches… completely free from harsh chemicals, dyes, and synthetic junk you don’t want around your family.Learn more: https://rusticstrength.com/ 🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹 🤝THIS EPISODE’S FEATURED SPONSOR: Azure StandardOur friends at Azure Standard have been quietly setting the standard for clean, wholesome food since the 1970s. Family-owned and values-driven, they make it simple to fill your pantry with organic, non-GMO groceries, bulk staples, and household essentials delivered straight to your door or a convenient local drop point.Learn more: https://www.azurestandard.com 🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹 🤝THIS EPISODE’S FEATURED SPONSOR: Invited: Collection 001 If you're craving stories that restore faith in hard times, Invited: Collection 001 is a handpicked "best of" from Plain Values magazine… uplifting accounts of triumph, simple joys, adoption beauty, homesteading wisdom, and gospel-centered living. Learn more: https://homesteadliving.com/invited-collection-001/ 🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹 A great way to show support is to hit LIKE / SUBSCRIBE on this video, and most importantly, join the conversation in the COMMENTS below. We’d love to hear from you. 👉We have a beautiful magazine called Plain Values, sent quarterly ($49/year): https://plainvalues.com/pv-magazine-yt👉To receive our FREE Plain Values emails: https://plainvalues.com/👉To find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plainvalues/👉To find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plainvalues/ 🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹 In 2023, we joined forces with Homestead Living. There’s some pretty cool stuff going on there, as well. 👉To subscribe to our stunning Homestead Living magazine ($49/year): https://hmln.co/hlm-pvp-yt👉To receive our FREE Homestead Living emails: https://homesteadliving.com/👉To find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homesteadlivingmagazine/👉To find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/homesteadlivingmagazine 🎵All music by Sam Burchfield (intro)Sam Burchfield - Hold My HandRecorded Live - Plain Values - Winesburg, OHLearn more about Sam: https://www.samburchfield.com/T0ZPMSFJ7VLMSCN8

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, redemption, longing, and the quiet beauty found in everyday life.  With coffee and homemade treats ready, and the Black Willow food truck serving before the doors opened at 6:00, the room settled into the kind of shared stillness that makes these nights special.  By the end of the evening, the songs had done what they do best: connected hearts, reminded us of the ache and hope of being human, and left people encouraged and refreshed. Even if you missed the live event, you can watch the whole thing right here. This concert captures exactly what we hope to cultivate with the Plain Values Podcast and our house concert series: telling stories that matter and bringing us closer together at the table. If this evening filled your coffee cup, we’d be grateful if you’d leave a thoughtful comment, hit Like, and Subscribe so more friends can find these gatherings. We’re always looking for more friends. Looking forward to the next one…

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 Storybook Bible and the story of Isaac: the child born in spite of his parents’ cynical laughter, a pattern that runs throughout Scripture of God creating beauty and new life out of human doubt.  That same tension fuels his music. Christian artists, he notes, get to work on the broadest possible palette… more cynical about the human condition than Quentin Tarantino, yet more hopeful than Walt Disney. The conversation ranges widely: the slow, repetitive craft of songwriting; the joy of discovering intricate patterns in literature (and in Genesis) with high-school students; the humility of realizing how little we know; and the invitation to rest in a God who sees us in secret. Chris shares about a long-gestating musical on the life of Jacob, a character whose depths and heights perfectly embody the complicated canvas of grace. Whether you’re a parent, a teacher, an artist, or simply someone carrying more than you can manage, this episode offers the steady reminder that the story is not over. The day’s demands are for bigger hands. The God who sings over His people is still writing, and still inviting us into the secret meeting under the blanket of His attention. Learn more about Plain Values at https://plainvalues.com

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 published in magazines and universities around the world, and he became known as Snowflake Bentley. Marlin wonders: What beautiful things can we discover if we slow down and take a closer look at the world around us? These short, heartfelt Minutes with Marlin deliver quick moments of wisdom, faith, humility, and encouragement… perfect for busy homestead days when we need a gentle reminder of what really matters. Learn more about Plain Values at https://plainvalues.com

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 furniture store in what used to be a chicken house in Mount Hope. What started as a simple desire to serve customers well soon grew into something much larger.  Today, Homestead Furniture is known for building truly custom, American-made pieces, while Abner Henry has taken Ernie’s work into the world of high-end design, including a major collaboration with the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In this wide-ranging conversation, Ernie opens up about the long, sometimes brutal journey of learning to lead a team, the spiritual discipline of letting go of self, and why he doesn’t believe in setting goals.  He shares how he’s learned to create “data compartments” in his day (protecting time for family, church, and rest) and how the same principles of stewardship and servant leadership apply to business, family, and faith. Whether you’re running a business, raising a family, or simply trying to live with purpose, Ernie’s quiet wisdom offers a powerful reminder: success isn’t about reaching a finish line… it’s about faithfully stewarding the talent God has given you, one faithful step at a time. If this conversation filled your coffee cup, we would humbly invite you to leave a thoughtful comment below and please, don’t be shy … the Like and Subscribe buttons help more friends find this episode.  We’re always looking for more friends. Learn more about Ernie Hershberger at homesteadfurniture.com. Learn more about Plain Values at plainvalues.com.

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 fitting that we give special recognition to those who are rebuilding families by promoting adoption.” Reagan emphasized that more children with permanent homes mean fewer children with permanent problems. Marlin encourages us to be mindful during Adoption Awareness Month of the millions of children who need loving forever families. Each of those kids has their own story. What they really need at the core is a family to love them. These short, heartfelt Minutes with Marlin deliver quick moments of wisdom, faith, humility, and encouragement… perfect for busy homestead days when we need a gentle reminder of what really matters. Learn more about Plain Values at https://plainvalues.com

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 what looks impossible. The conversation turned personal as Kevin admits his own ongoing struggle to rest in God’s love rather than constantly measuring himself as a winner or loser. He points to Zephaniah 3:17, where the Creator of the universe sings over His people like a mighty warrior. Whether you foster, adopt, or simply need hope that the story isn’t finished, this episode offers quiet, hard-won encouragement. The work is hard. The timeline is long. But the God who sings over us is still writing. Listen now and be reminded: the story is not over… Learn more about Plain Values at https://plainvalues.com