Ryan Timmermans, U.S Army veteran and founder of Veterans Off-grid, describes Veterans off-grid as a place for veterans to feel normal again. There are two Veterans Off-grid missions,one to help veterans and the second to help the earth. This is accomplished by creating communities for veterans that are sustainable and completely off-grid. The Veterans Off-grid community grows its own food, produces its own energy, and has a rainwater collection system. There cycled materials and living off-grid are principles of Veterans Off-grid.
Veterans off-grid was started nine years ago while Ryan was in Afghanistan in 2011 and 2012. Ryan recalls a tragic day when his fellow soldier took his place on a mission. Sadly, everyone on that mission perished shortly after. Ryan felt immense guilt and struggled to reintegrate into society again. Ryan then fought mental battles, which brought up thoughts of not wanting to live anymore. Ryan then turned to the VA for help and resources, which turned into long wait times for appointments and being condescended. Ryan then felt that he would not receive the proper help through the VA. Ryan then returned to Afghanistan as a soldier, because it reminded him of the last time his mind was healthy. Then his contract was cut. It would also be around a time that Ryan would see a music video that would change how he felt about himself, his world, and reality forever. It was a music video by Fiver Finger Death Punch ' Wrong Side of Heaven.' The first time Ryan saw this video, he burst into tears because of veterans' statistics and their hardships like high rates of homeless and divorce.
Nevertheless, the most compelling part came at the end of the music video that stated that a veteran had taken his own life by the time you were done watching the video. It was then that Ryan decided to dedicate his life to the point of bankruptcy or die trying to impact the issues that he had personally experienced as a veteran. That is when Ryan then came out to Taos, New Mexico, and attend the Earthship Academy. Ryan quickly fell in love and sought to raise capital and sell his real estate in Ohio. After raising funds, Ryan returned to New Mexico and bought fifty acres in Carson, New Mexico, and started what is now the non-profit organization Veterans Off-grid.
Ryan's Military Journey
Ryan Timmermans always knew he wanted to be in the military. It just took him longer than he anticipated. Ryan also grew up in a military family. His father was drafted in Vietnam, and both his grandfathers were in World War II. When Ryan was 17, he took the ASVAB, a military entrance exam. Ryan scored 99%, which was basically the highest score you could get. Soon after, all the military personnel were after him.
Ryan only had one question for the recruiters, who gets promoted the fastest. Ryan soon learned that although high casualty, infantry was something that suited his ambitious mindset. However, one day Ryan's dad, who was a very wise man, sat him down. He told Ryan that he was being very honorable by going into the army. However, Ryan's dad requested that he go to college for at least one year before signing his military contract. Ryan's dad didn't want Ryan to go through the same experience that he did. He even offered to pay for half of Ryan's tuition. Ryan's dad knew that saying no to Ryan joining the military would only make him want to do it right away, so this offered more of a middle ground for the two. Ryan took his dad up on the offer and ended up falling in love with college and forgot about the military. Ryan then traveled overseas to do volunteer work, started a laser tag business, and explored other different life avenues.
It wasn't until Ryan was 32 that here consider joining the army. Ryan was working as a bartender at the time when an old friend came to visit. He told Ryan about how he can be a soldier and a civilian. Ryan never knew that this was an option, and this intrigued him. Starting over with the military process again, Ryan retook the ASVAB and scored 97%. Ryan told the recruiters that he wanted to be the intel guy and was told there were no positions available. Ryan, being confident in his positioning, declined any other position, so the military made a position open for him. Four months later, Ryan was on his way to Ft. Jackson,South Caroline, for basic training.
VOLUNTEER
Veterans Off-grid has over a hundred local volunteers from Taos County that help on any given basis. Currently, five people are staying on site that volunteer regularly. VeteransOff-grid looks for volunteers who can offer something they already do well and those who would like to give back to the veteran community. Living in Taos County is not a requirement as Veterans Off-grid also accepts remote volunteer services. Veterans Off-grid lets people stay on the land for free in the spring. When people find out about VeteransOff-grid, they come to help and become residents in the community. The veterans that stay onsite volunteer two days a week to help the next veteran build their home.This way,everyone can give back to their small community, help, and pull each other up. Civilians and visiting veterans who are not part of the community can volunteer anytime on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, usually from nine to five.
RECYCLE
Every donation that people give to Veterans Off-grid is stretched far beyond the effect of a regular donation. That is how Ryan helps to keep costs down. Ryan recalls one lucky day when he drove down to Home Depot and ended up coming back with about $3,000 worth of materials. "It was a great, great day for VeteransOff-grid," Ryan said with a memorable smile.
Veterans Off-grid tries as much as they can to recycle and reuse readily available things as well as material they salvage from other places. Discarded glass bottles are used as a renewable resource as people are not going to stop drinking beer and using glass bottles. Veterans Off-grid also uses recycled tires that stores are throwing away. The things people are throwing away, Ryan and his crew salvage and use it in the houses built for veterans. Veterans Off-grid accepts donations of all kinds.
SYNERGY
There are about 250 to 300 people that live in Carson, New Mexico. It is right on the edge of the National Forest. People come from all over the world and move here. How did these people find the courage to move out to Carson? The thing that impressed Ryan the most and helped him to make the set decision that Carson was the place to start Veterans Off-grid was the food bank run by Richard Hawley. Ryan had many gracious encounters with Richard as he always left with a bag of groceries and kind words.
Ryan shared that Carson reminded him of the older TV show Cheers, where everybody knows your name. You can be someone; you do not have to feel like you are just a number. Ryan also chose the Veterans Off-grid site to be elevated because veterans always feel uncomfortable when they're in a vulnerable position. The fields offer a broad view so that anyone can see from a few miles away. The veterans feel good; they feel safe and feel normal. Being surrounded by their brothers and sisters, who have also been trained to be aware, helps them relax their guard a little bit.
ENERGY
The energy that Veterans Off-grid collects from the sun is stored in batteries. Each homestead has its own battery source. Solar is used to power everything on site. Solar power and rainwater are the primary energy sources that construct everything on site. However, starting solar is expensive. It is worth it in the long term because you do not ever have to worry about a power outage; you are not connected to the grid at all. So you are totally self-dependent. When the sun is shining, everything is great.
Veterans Off-grid has transformed a desert into a piece of land that is productive. Ryan hopes to secure more funding to continue installing more solar panels and other energy-efficient ways to make life living off the grid a reality for more veterans. Solar power is a 100% clean, renewable energy source. It reduces reliance on oil, coal, and natural gas for electricity production. With solar power, Veterans Off-grid can actually use the land and subsequently generate great value; solar energy provides a source of power for everyone for just about anything.
Another energy source for Veterans Off-grid is water. Things like water out there in Carson are precious. Veterans Off-grid captures the rain, stores it, filters it, and then use it again and again. It will be recycled many times. It will go into the shower and the sinks first, and then water will be used to feed the plants, and eventually go into the toilets where it will be later used as fertilizer to feed the outdoor landscaping, and potentially fruit trees.
FOOD
Ryan has big plans to feed more than just veterans. There is much experimentation going on in the world with pyramid farms, with indoor farms, and all kinds of different forms of Agriculture, and many other options that are being considered. Ryan is hoping to incorporate some of these new production systems and different ways to grow food into some of Veterans Off-grid's food production projects. Ryan states that everything is an experiment as they are growing, learning, and implementing different ways to grow and process food, so that when people do come to volunteer, there are all kinds of different things that people can do.
Veteran's Off-grid has also incorporated a food production system called a Walipini green house. A Walipini is an under ground greenhouse with a transparent or translucent roof. The word Walipini means 'place of warmth' from the indigenous Bolivian tribe. VeteransOff-grid will use this greenhouse to create a stable temperature environment that controls the climate area to increase the variety of crops they can produce. This Walipini will use little to no energy and provide a warm place for plants to grow.
Because 93%of New Mexico's food is imported from other states and other countries, Ryan envisions being a place that grows food for consumption and growing enough food to supply the local population around them with high-density food. Ryan wants to learn and teach people how to use water in multiple ways, improve the soil, and grow food in negative 30-degree temperatures. Currently, Ryan's food production projects include planting a greenhouse and eventually incorporate shipping container farms to do indoor farming.
WEBSITE: veteransoffgrid.org
PHONE: (919) 673-0398
EMAIL: veteransoffgrid@gmail.com
DONATE: https://gf.me/u/y5cfgx
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