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Montie Roland, NPDP

Montie Roland, NPDP

Gentleman Farmer, Engineer and Extreme Innovator / Brainstormer

  • Portfolio
    • Montie Gear Catalog
    • Sustainability at Montie Gear
    • Simply Us Farm
    • Camp at Troublesome Gap
    • Portfolio – Pool Products
    • Portfolio – Camping and Outdoor Equipment
    • Portfolio – Consumer Products
    • Portfolio – Furniture
    • Portfolio – Paintball Equipment
    • Portfolio – Consumer Machines / Attic Lift
    • Portfolio – Ultralight Survival Knife
    • Portfolio – Electronic Enclosures and Rackmount Equipment
    • Portfolio – Slingshots
    • Portfolio – Firearms Accessories
  • Brainstorming Events
    • Church Men’s Group Brainstorming Session
    • Starting Our Journey – Developing Our CERT Emergency Communications Plan
    • Next Step – Getting Ready for Brainwriting – CERT Emergency Communications Plan
    • Brainstorming! – CERT Emergency Communications Plan
    • Brainstorming Results – CERT Emergency Communications Plan
    • Rough Draft – CERT Emergency Communications Plan
  • Blog
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    • Offroad / 4wd / 4×4 / Jeep
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  • Podcast
  • Resume
    • View Resume as PDF
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Videos / Vlogs

Montie Roland

For more information visit:

www.montie.com

www.montiegear.com

www.simplyusfarm.com

Montie Roland
The location is Troublesome Gap, NC - www.troublesomegap.com
We had a great day racing at the NC CAR faciity
We tried something new this year.  We planted pumpkins in withour sorghum / sudan grass and buckwheat cover crop.  The plan:

- plant the pumpkins and cover crop in the area where we had just dug potatoes.  The row was already covered with straw that we used around the potato plants

- let the cover crop and pumpkins grow - the buckwheat grew first and was succeeded by the pumpkins and sorghum / sudan grass

- weed around the pumpkins

- let the pumpkins grown out into the grassy rows beyond the cover crop area

- [future] hopefully harvest pumpkins

Doing this allows us to add organic matter to the soil when we terminate the sorghum / sudan grass and it composts over the winter.  The sorghum / sudan grass also acts a a mulch for the winter cover crop.  Hopefully we get a good harvest of pumpkins.  Innovating in small ways means trying new things.  

I'm looking foward to pumpkins!
Check out the view from above the campsite.  The mountain view is spectacular.   It is a great place to camp

Come camp on Troublesome Gap - https://www.troublesomegap.com
We just took a walk from the campsite on Troublesome Gap.  Here is what you can expect while driving up Big Pine Road to the campsite.

Come camp on Troublesome Gap - https://www.troublesomegap.com
We've been working hard on the farm.  One of our projects is improving the campsite in the middle of the back field.  This is unique and innovative camping experience.

Connie and I both enjoy camping.  Getting away from all the trappings of modern life.  Constantly being connected via a cell phone.  The ease of watching any of 1000s of movies and tv shows with a click.

There is only limited cell phone service on the farm so you are lucky to get a text message or call through.  There is a certain ability to relax when you are disconnected.  We put the campsite in the back field in the most important part of the field from a visual perspective and an agricultural perspective.  We want this campsite to be a focal point of a wonderful story.  The campsite has fruit bearing trees in it that replicate the blackberry, figs, pawpaw and elderberry plants that are bountiful on the farm.  There is a fire circle and a bench in the camping circle.  There is room for a big tent or several small tents.  We want this to be a special place that leads to special memories.  

Details are important.  You have to walk to the spot, short walk, but still a walk.  Even the bench is designed to make the trip special.  The seat is just a little too far off the ground.  So even if you are tall your feet hang down just a little.  The seat is just a little too deep so you feel a little small in the bench.  Just enough to where you feel just a little small in the middle of the big field, under the big sky.   Just so you remember what is important.  

Lee Ann Womack sang 

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
You get your fill to eat, but always keep that hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love ever leave you empty-handed ...

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance ...

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Livin' might mean takin' chances, but they're worth takin'
Lovin' might be a mistake, but it's worth makin' ...

In a lot of ways this song was the inspiration for the campsite.  Even as adults we need to play.  We need to find adventure.  Seek it out.  Even if it is a small adventure.  We need to wonder.    

Simply Us Farm is an adventure.  It is me wondering what could be.  Trying new things and innovating.  Definitely not going the path of least resistance.  Check out the song below, maybe it inspires you too.  If all our farm ever
This is definitely not medical advice.  This is just how I was treating a cold this week.  We grew the elderberries on our farm.
Once or twice a year we do a walk through of the farm and highlight where we are an give a sneak peak of ongoing projects.

Keep up with our work at:

www.simplyusfarm.com
Thanks to Niti Bali for taking the time chat with me about food security, why people need healthy food and why people want relief.

Check out Niti's 

https://www.farmtoforkmeatriot.org/

Visit our farm

https://www.simplyusfarm.com
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