A national conversation through a local lens. Based in Tacoma Washington. Hosted by Nate Bowling, 2016 National Teacher of the Year Finalist, 2016 Washington State Teacher of the Year, 2014 Milken National Teaching Award, Co-Founder of Teachers United.
Tacoma, Washington
The Nerd Farmer Podcast is an exceptional show that tackles a wide range of complex issues impacting our society. As a listener, I eagerly anticipate the release of new episodes and greatly appreciate the hard work that goes into producing this podcast. The conversations surrounding housing policy, structural inequalities, and quality of life discussions are particularly engaging and thought-provoking. The host, Nate Bowling, does an excellent job of bringing in knowledgeable guests to provide insightful perspectives on these topics. Additionally, the book reviews featured on the show have introduced me to numerous excellent reads that have enriched my understanding of various subjects.
However, one aspect of the podcast that initially threw me off was its title – "Nerd Farmer." Initially, I expected the focus to be primarily on agriculture-related topics. Nevertheless, I quickly realized that the podcast delves into a much broader range of subjects such as education, justice, race, and voting. While this expanded scope is personally appealing to me, it may confuse some listeners who are specifically seeking agricultural content.
Despite this minor confusion over the title, The Nerd Farmer Podcast remains a fantastic listen overall. The depth of knowledge shared by Nate and his guests is truly commendable, and their ability to break down complex issues for listeners is exceptional. Each episode provides valuable insights into local and national news while also highlighting influential community activists and organizations. Through this podcast, I have discovered a plethora of valuable resources that have further stimulated my intellectual curiosity.
In conclusion, The Nerd Farmer Podcast is a must-listen for anyone interested in staying informed about crucial social issues while also gaining a deeper understanding of how these issues impact our daily lives. Nate Bowling's commitment to providing meaningful conversations with diverse guests creates a platform for learning, connection, and civic engagement. Whether discussing race and equity or American politics and culture through the lens of Tacoma or beyond, this podcast consistently delivers intelligent dialogue that is both accessible and enlightening.
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Bill Fitzgerald is a privacy activist and vociferous critic of the data protection practices of Big Tech. In this week's episode Bill came on to talk about the data privacy implications of putting AI in...
After seventeen emails, dating back to December, we finally have the conversation I've been chasing with Diana Kuprych. Diana is a Ukrainian student doing her graduate studies at the London School of Economics. Her thesis...
Melissa Santos is a reporter for Axios covering Seattle and the State Legislature. We've been podding with Melissa since 2017. She is a regular on the show and one of our most requested and re-requested...
Tori is an anti-racist educator and writer. She grew up in a deeply conservative evangelical family and is now an out-spoken critic of racism and misogyny that lurks within in some Christian communities. She joined...
This is a conversation about tariffs—with an economist who is an expert in making it plain. We're starting with the basics: Tariffs are taxes on imports, and they're usually passed on to consumers. So, in...
Marguerite Martin is a co-founder of Channel 253 and creator of Move to Tacoma. This is an update to her and my ongoing conversation about housing policy and real estate. You can find my previous...
Amanda Willams is a former teacher in Seattle Public Schools and is the creator of the Seattle Green Book, an online listing of Black Owned Businesses in the Seattle Area. She joined us to talk...
This week's episode is a change of pace for the show. Film critic Chase Hutchinson joined us for a conversation about the upcoming 97th Academy Awards. We talked through who we think will win each...
Following the inauguration of Donald Trump last month, reactions in the U.S. ranged from jubilation to alarm—depending on one's political leanings and level of engagement. But how is the new admin being received beyond American...
In this episode, we discuss the US' renewed expansionist ambitions with Zoltan Grossman, a professor of Geography and Indigenous Studies at Evergreen State College. Grossman helped me unpack some throughlines connecting 19th century Manifest Destiny...
One of the least discussed stories in US public education is our decision to walk away from what worked. School integration in the US peaked in 1987, coinciding with the achievement gap between Black and...
The war in Ukraine is a functional stalemate with the Russian death toll nearing 200k. Growth is down in the Russian economy and inflation and prices are up. Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Russia's greatest...
Hundreds of fishermen laboring on U.S.-flagged ships in American waters face a harsh reality: wage theft, exploitative conditions, and little recourse. Cyrus Donato, one of over 140 inspectors for the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF),...
In this episode, we sat down with Anne Lutz Fernandez—former investment banker, retired teacher, and co-author of Schooled—to discuss education's role in the 2024 election. We discussed Trump's first-term policies, Biden and Harris's records on...
The Civil War in Sudan is arguably the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. The fight to control the government in Khartoum has reportedly claimed upwards of 150,000 lives and conditions for people on the...
This is Part One of a Tacoma Audio Voters' Guide. In this conversation, we talked through the Congressional races, statewide initiatives, statewide offices, Pierce County judges, and a proposed fire and safety levy for the...
In spite of an avalanche of outside money, Tacoma voters recently adopted a sweeping Bill of Rights for tenants that provides relocation assistance to families, in the case of steep increases in rent, and bans...
Mario Amaya is the owner and operator of Balcon X, a taco and pupusa (and putaco) restaurant located on Sixth Ave. Balcon X is named after his balcony where he got his start selling meals...
Quincy Henry is the co-owner and proprietor of Campfire Coffee, located at 1554 Market Street. He joined us for Part 4 of our ongoing series on running a small business in Tacoma. We talked about...
Last week Tacoma lost one of its brightest lights. Matt Driscoll was a columnist for The News Tribune and the editor for the paper's Opinion Section. But he was so much more than that. Rather...
Chase Hutchinson is a Tacoma-based freelance journalist and movie critic. He came on the show to talk about the year in movies. For our conversation, we tried to focus on films not based on pre-existing...
In today's irregular edition of the podcast, we discussed Saturday's attempted assassination of former President Trump and the political fallout from it. I was joined in studio by Producer Doug and Evelyn Lopez, host of...
Dave and Carol are longtime Seattle Sounders season ticket holders and former hosts of the Hands-Free Footy podcast. They decided, for a host of reasons, this would be their last year with season tickets. I...
Cameron Harwick is a professor at State University of New York Brockport. He previously joined us in 2022 for a conversation about the causes and impacts of the inflationary crisis in 2022. My goal in...
Emmett O'Connell is a recovering journalist, who writes the blog Olympia Time and hosts the podcast Olympia Standard. He recently published an article examining the hoovering up of homes by corporate and institutional landlords and...
In this episode, we are joined by Randy Girdner, an educator, filmmaker, and the comic artist creator of the web comic Maurice the Beaver. This is a conversation about AI and my trepidation about its...
In this episode, we dove into recent shifts in real estate with Jasmyn Jefferson, Designated Broker and co-Owner of Windermere Abode Lakewood. Jasmyn gave us her take on the Tacoma Housing market and the low-down...
This month observant Muslims around the world are fasting in observance of Ramadan. Jasmine El Shear is an Egyptian-American school counselor in the Gulf, advising Emirati students in navigating an American school system. She joined...
Nathan Perl-Rosenthal is an historian of the eighteenth and early nineteenth-century Atlantic world. He focuses on the political and cultural history of Europe and the Americas in the age of revolution, with a emphasis on...
We invited Professor Michael Artime from Pacific Lutheran University back on the show to discuss the upcoming election. In this conversation we covered several topics: Ezra Klein's suggestion that Biden step-aside as the Democratic nominee...
Over the winter holiday, Matt Driscoll, columnist and opinion editor at The News Tribune, reached out to talk about the firing of Claudine Gay from her role of President of Harvard University. Gay was brought...
Happy New Year and go Huskies! This week's episode is a discussion about navigating the internet in an era of misinformation. Our guest is Dave Clark, founder of Sounder at Heart. He also writes at...
Happy New Year! Recorded live in the Moonyard Studios in gorgeous North Tacoma, this episode is the second of our two part 2023 Year in Review. If you missed Part I, you can find it...
Happy Holidays! Recorded live in the Moonyard Studios in gorgeous North Tacoma, this episode is the first of our two part 2023 Year in Review. We were joined in the studio by Erik Hanberg, President...
Peter Talbot from The News Tribune has been covering the trial of the Tacoma Police Officers who murdered Manuel Ellis on March 3, 2020. We spoke with Peter in October as the state was making...
Earlier this month, voters in Tacoma passed a Tenants Bill of Rights, creating among the most sweeping tenant protections in the country. The initiative was specifically designed to combat displacement in the community. This effort...
Jeremiah Oshan is a recovering newspaper journalist and the editor-in-chief of Sounder at Heart. Sounder at Heart is the most read blog in US club soccer. The website was previously a part of Vox's SB...
Manuel Ellis was murdered by Tacoma Police on March 3, 2020. The long-delayed trial of the police officers that killed him is underway and this week we're checking in with Peter Talbot from the News...
In March, on episode 188, we welcomed Azeri journalist Sevinc Osmanqizi on the show for a conversation about the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. On September 19, that conflict...
Representative Marilyn Strickland is a former member of the Tacoma City Council, the former Mayor of Tacoma, and two-term member of the US House of Representatives. She joined us to discuss the recent dismissal of...
In 2019, my wife and I departed the US to begin our overseas teaching career. When I made the transition, I used a service called Search Associates. They helped me navigate the application process and...
I belong to a group chat. It used to be about the Seattle Sounders but as they began struggling last season it became more about crime novels, in the vein of Elmore Leonard. We now...
The Seattle Sounders are possibly the least convincing third place team in the history of world football. They're about three fourths of the way through what can best be described as a Jekyll & Hyde...
Our guest, Sarah Kendzior, is a scholar with an focus on authoritarian Central Asian states. She leverages her academic background in her work as a journalist and commentator, offering unique insights about anti-democratic tendencies and...
Carter is a co-author of the paper Trends in Income From 1975 to 2018 along with Kathryn A. Edwards. The paper lays out how the average American's wages would be $50,000 higher if income growth...
This summer we are hosting a series highlighting small businesses and their struggles and triumphs in Tacoma. In part three, we have a conversation with Cassandra Williams, the owner and proprietor of Love by the...
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