Tag Archives: crown maple syrup

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Crown Maple/Madava Estate / OFFICIAL SPONSOR

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About Madava Farms

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Madava Farms is the majestic home of Crown Maple® Syrup, quite possibly the purest syrup on earth. Located in Dutchess County, New York, Madava Farms is owned and sustainably managed by Robb and Lydia Turner and is named for the Turner’s daughters, Maddie and Ava.
  logo Madava Farms is perfectly situated in the historic Hudson River Valley where its 800 acres of century-old sugar and red maples enjoy perfect soil and ideal seasonal weather conditions to produce a superior sap for maple sugaring. Our maple syrup farm is also home to the most advanced maple syrup productionfacility in the country. Our ‘sugarhouse’ is the place where the pristine sap collected from our sustainably managed maple groves meets the latest in green, organic production techniques to produce a distinct, pure maple syrup with superior flavor and exceptional quality. LEARN HOW WE CRAFT CROWN MAPLE SYRUP

Robb’s Story:

I grew up spending summers exploring the woods and groves of my family’s farm in Illinois, so finding a place my wife and daughters could enjoy and call their own was important to me. We scoured the Hudson Valley and Catskills regions for just the right place. From my days at West Point, I was familiar with the Dutchess County area so we focused our search there.

When I first saw this property and it’s wide range of geography, incredible trout streams, forests and fields, and that phenomenal view at the top of the mountain, I knew we had found that place. We had found Madava Farm.

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SPONSOR PROFILE / Crown Maple Syrup

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5 Questions for Crown Maple


(This question is for Annette Cantilli – CFO, Crown Maple) Tell me about your experience as a Judge during last year’s Muddy Chef Challenge and what you are looking forward to this year

I have never eaten so much in one sitting in my entire life.  And the variety of food, the creativity, the comedy, and the pride universally displayed made for a fantastic event, one that all should experience at least once in a lifetime.

What am I looking forward to this year?  – bringing the Jeep Wrangler


(This question is for Kerri Travis – General MGR, Crown Maple) We hear you had quite a time engraving the Crown Maple Muddy Chef Trophy last year.

The engraver (a local Spirits shop) had a very difficult time with the size of the gallon as she was accustomed to engraving wine bottles and wine & champagne glasses.  Thankfully the front of the gallon was successfully engraved.  Rather than chance a mishap we have come up with another plan to add the 2014 winners ‘Two Guys and a Rover’ to the side of the gallon.


(This question is for Tyge Rugenstein – COO, Crown Maple) You have a PhD, a Masters, an MS in Applied Mathematics, and a BS in Civil Engineering.  How are you able to use those skills in a Maple Forest?


My background is in engineering and mathematics. Establishing a productive and efficient sap collection network and processing facility requires good design and technical knowledge, so my previous experiences translate well even though very different from maple production. Just as important is my experience working with soldiers during my 29-year career in the U.S. Army. The similarities between soldiers and those on the Crown Maple woods crew are many. They don’t shy away from hard work, they frequently work in inclement weather, and they must work as a team. They are key to the organization’s success.

 

Crown Maple is an amazing facility can you tell us more about it?


Construction on the Crown Maple sugarhouse began in 2011 and was completed in 2012. The facility can store approximately 50,000 gallons of raw sap and can process over 180 gallons of syrup per hour during peak production days. With 50,000 taps, the sugarhouse will make more than eighteen 55-gallon drums of maple syrup on a good day during sap season.


The reverse osmosis machine, which takes out over 80% of the water from the sap, will process nearly 9000 gallons of sap per hour. The building is capable of expansion with the capacity to accommodate 400,000 taps. In addition to the processing facility, the building is home to Crown Maple’s cafe, tasting room, retail space and corporate offices.

 

What’s the difference between “fake” and real maple syrup?

GOOD: Natural maple syrup is made by boiling the sap of maple trees in the early spring. It is commonly made from sugar maple, as well as red maple, and black maple trees. It takes 40 to 50 gallons of sap to produce one gallon of syrup.  After the maple sap is collected, it is boiled to evaporate the water until a specific temperature is reached. The resulting syrup will be two-thirds sugar and one-third water. The primary sugar is sucrose with lesser amounts of fructose and glucose. Real maple syrup is healthier than fake syrup. It contains nutritionally significant amounts of manganese and zinc, minerals that can boost immune and reproductive health, as well as potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, and riboflavin.

 


NOT SO GOOD: Imitation maple syrup, also known as fake syrup, is typically made from high fructose corn syrup with caramel food coloring, artificial flavors, cellulose gum, and food preservatives added.  Imitation syrup is mainly composed of sugars with no vitamins or minerals.


Be sure to visit the tasting room, cafe and gift shop when you visit Crown Maple during The Muddy Chef Challenge!  It’s an amazing facility!

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Crown Maple Syrup / The New York Times

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The Sweet Science of Syrup

Interview by  (from The New York Times)

 Rikki Snyder for The New York Time
Paul Weyant, 30, is a tree tapper for Crown Maple, based in Dover Plains, N.Y.

Q. Is producing maple syrup as simple as tapping a tree?

A. Most people think of it as hanging buckets on trees, but at Crown Maple we collect sap through an extensive tubing system in forestland owned by Madava Farms in Dutchess County. In total we have about 150 miles of plastic tubing. We tap the sugar and red maple trees in early January when it’s still freezing at night. When the temperature gets above freezing in the day, the sap starts to run and we collect it for processing in our sugarhouse.

Is the season the same every year?

This year it was quite a bit colder, so the sap season started a little later, in March instead of February, and it ran until mid-April.

How do you transport the syrup?

Around midmorning, if the sun is out, the sap flows out of the tree, through the pipes to the collection house, where it is stored in large stainless steel tanks. On a good day, each tree produces about one gallon of sap. When it comes out of the tree, it’s about 2 percent sugar and looks clear.

What happens next?

Once the sap arrives at the sugarhouse, we store it in one of our 10,000-gallon tanks. The impurities are filtered out, and a machine takes out about 80 percent of the water. The concentrated sap is then boiled and stored in stainless steel barrels until it is bottled. All of this is done in one day. It takes 50 to 80 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup.

What do you do when the tree sap isn’t flowing?

We have almost 50,000 trees on Madava Farms’ 800 acres. Last summer, we installed 12,000 taps on trees on property leased nearby, which includes running wire, pipe and tubing through the woods. And we always have repairs because squirrels, coyotes and other animals nibble the plastic lines.

What do you like about your job?

I’m constantly going up and down hills and mountains, pulling lines through the woods and using a chain saw to cut branches. I don’t need to worry about fitness because I’m doing physical labor every day.

Interview conducted and condensed by Elizabeth Olson.

PROFILE / Max Simmons

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THE LAND ROVER MUDDY CHEF CHALLENGE

This week we interview attorney, new father, style icon and sunroof-less Discovery owner Max Simmons.

Proust/Solihull Questionnaire


 

1. If Land Rover made an aircraft would you fly in it? Why/Why Not?

 

I’d always trust a Land Rover to get me to the remotest location. I’d want an aircraft carrier there waiting for me in the event that it assumed the British position when I went to start it the next morning.

 

2. Tell us a little about your background, your career and where you live.

 

Blue-eyed blond welfare baby born to a teen single-mother in small-town central Illinois. After working my way through college (and I do mean working — ask me sometime about some of those jobs!) I spent nearly a decade working for non-profits and politicians in Wisconsin till opting for law-school. I now live in New Haven with my perfect wife, Abigail, and our perfect children, Emma-Marguerite and Francesco. My eyes are still blue but the hair is gray.

 

3. How many Land Rovers have you owned and which was your favorite?

 

My ’97 Discovery is my first. It’s perfect for me. Stepped roof, alpine windows, and super-robust frame and drivetrain echo the original safari-mobiles while the ABS, airbags, A/C and side-impact beams update it just enough (my friends say it’s perfect for me because it’s a little bit redneck and a little bit elitist). After a long region-wide search (I wanted one without sunroofs) I found it hibernating mostly rust-free in an East Haven garage. The owner bought it as a project that he never got around to starting.

 

4. What’s the best thing about owning a Land Rover?

 

Two things: (1) Seeing it waiting for me in the parking lot: It promises adventure and escape, even if only once in a while, and (2) the friendship with my mechanic.


5. What’s the worst thing about owning a Land Rover?

 

The friendship with my mechanic.

 

6. Been on an adventure? – tell us about it

 

Besides the Muddy Chef? So far the adventures have been the steep learning curve in roadside repairs using bubblegum and duct tape.

 

7. How do you plan to beat the competition this year at the Muddy Chef Challenge?

Lock Eric Archer and Chris Copeland in the basement till August 3rd.


 


8. If you could ask Land Rover for a particular type of vehicle what would it be?

 

An updated NAS Defender 110 (or a 130!). I’m a family guy, and I’d love to have a suitably sized Rover for hauling the whole herd into some more remote locations.

 

9.    What upgrades/modifications does your Land Rover have?

TrueTrac diffs, front diff guard, JATE rings, and . . . new headliner!


 


10. If you were on safari what three people (living or dead) would you pick to bring along?

I probably should say Selous, Stanley and Schweitzer, but more likely I’d prefer Groucho Marx, Julia Child and Ansel Adams.



PROFILE / Keenan Langlois

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THE LAND ROVER MUDDY CHEF CHALLENGE

This week we are interviewing Keenan Langlois – Muddy Chef competitor, professional Chef, LR4 owner,  and the man with one of the coolest campsites at last year’s Muddy Chef Challenge.

Proust/Solihull Questionnaire

1.      If Land Rover made an aircraft would you fly in it?   Why/Why Not?

Yes.  I would imagine if Land Rover made an aircraft it would be a helicopter, luxury on the inside with amazing maneuverability.

2.      Tell us a little about your background, your career, and where you live.

I am a chef at The Sinclair Kitchen in Harvard Square, and I live in Salem, MA just outside of Boston.  My family were Jeep owners since the seventies until I drove my sisters 2003 Disco a few years back.  I bought my first Land Rover in 2014.

 3.      How many Land Rovers have you owned and which was your favorite?

I have had the good/bad fortune of owning my first TWO rovers in one year.  This due to a wreck that totaled my first one in February.  I soon was on the hunt for another same year and color, which I picked up four weeks ago.

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4.      What’s the best thing about owning a Land Rover?

This year’s snowfall in the Northeast was abominable.  Loved just getting in the LR cranking it up, raise suspension and put it in drive. No shovel required!  This car also saved me a lot of pain from the wreck.  I walked away from a 60 mph head on collision.

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5.      What’s the worst thing about owning a Land Rover?

The temperamental warning lights.  What’s going to light up next?

 

6.     Been on an adventure? – tell us about it

My only great Land Rover adventure was MCC3, had a blast and looking forward to MCC4!

 

7.      How do you plan to beat the competition this year at the Muddy Chef Challenge?

I’m not looking to win anything in the chef challenge.  I just want to meet great new people and get into some serious mud.

   8.      If you could ask Land Rover for a particular type of vehicle what would it be?

I’ll leave the planning up to the experts.  Looks like they are going in the right direction with the Evoque and the new Disco Sport!

9.      What upgrades/modifications does your Land Rover have?

Since recommendations from new friends at  MCC3 I had added Johnson Rods and General Grabber AT 285/65/18.  Lost in the accident, but I will rebuild.

 10.  If you were on safari which three people would you pick to bring along?

  • Bear Grylls-because who wouldn’t want a survivalist by their side?

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  • Gene’s Beans (Gene Schubert) – to gently guide me through the rough terrain.

  • Kate Upton-because why the hell not?

GQ-Kate-Upton

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Join us next Monday for the next installment of “PROFILES” 

 

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We get a shout out on Jalopnik

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We Adopted A Terrible Toyota Truck To See How Reliable They Really Are

Andrew P Collins
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We Adopted A Terrible Toyota Truck To See How Reliable They Really Are1

This is no diamond-in-the-rough. It’s not an “oldie but goodie” like Bowman’s well-storied Ram. This ravaged third-gen 4Runner a mean-muggin’ non-fucking-giving beater, and now we have the arduous task of taking care of it. Or, you know, destroying it.

Last night this lifted, bent, ratty Toyota 4Runner appeared at my doorstep like an abandoned baby in a basket. It smells faintly of Mexican food and everything aft of the front seats seem to have been converted to a sleeping/storage area.

At least somebody did put the wheel back where it’s meant to go, here’s the 4Runner as it sits at Truck Yeah HQ right now:

We Adopted A Terrible Toyota Truck To See How Reliable They Really Are234

The whole thing is this cool militaryish green/grey with a Rhinoliner’d hood (why?). The front grille is definitely not straight and neither is the (aftermarket?) trailer-hitch rig. But really, all it needs is a light bar and maybe some funky Plasti-Dip on those wheels. Next stop Wal-Mart, baby.

Okay the real story is the owner (a former colleague) lit off to San Francisco and didn’t feel like paying for parking, I think, so he bequeathed it to Truck Yeah!/Jalopnik for an undefined period of time “as long as we promised to document its destruction.”

I dunno, the whole arrangement’s pretty vague but I’m basically running a rusty orphanage up here and I just couldn’t turn those sweet three-spoke wheels away.

After a brief assessment and lap around the driveway, I’ve concluded it may be too nice to simply suicide… sounds okay, tires are great, and the 3″(?) lift looks professionally executed.

We Adopted A Terrible Toyota Truck To See How Reliable They Really Are

So what are we going to do with this hog? Chase polar bears up Canada way? Mud racin’? Make it my new guest bedroom? Should be a good rig to teach my fellow NY-based bloggers how to off-road this summer… at the very least.

Your turn: Ideas. Go.

Andrew P. Collins is Jalopnik’s off-road and adventure guy. Shoot him an email atandrew@jalopnik.com or hit him up on Twitter @andr3wcollins to talk trucks.

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Travis Okulski’s Discussions
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You should come to Rovers on the Rocks this year, or Muddy Chef challenge up at Lime Rock if you want something more local to you.

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In The News / MCC on NELRC

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LINK TO THE ARTICLE HERE

KRMG TV / 2014 Land Rover Muddy Chef Event

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The Land Rover Muddy Chef Challenge 3

Where

Lime Rock Park
497 Lime Rock Rd Rt 112
Lakeville, CT 06039

Upcoming

9:00 a.m. Thursday, July 31, 2014

Cost

Buy

Categories

Events,  Other

Registration for the 2014 Land Rover Muddy Chef Challenge PLEASE NOTE – IF YOU DO NOT COMPLETELY FILL OUT THE REGISTRATION FORM AND COMPLETE THE “CONTACT THE ORGANIZER” SECTION YOUR REGISTRATION WILL BE CANCELLED.  We need the info to register your vehicle and a way to contact you.  A blind e-mail is not enough information for us to process your registration.  Please provide the following information by clicking the “Contact The Organizer” button. The year and model Land Rover you will be driving. The name of your Challenge Meals (e.g. – Texas Tornado BBQ)If you would like to be located in the “family” areaIf you are bringing petsIf you have additional equipment (pop up awnings, etc)Please note, registration is limited so be sure to reserve your spot today!Be sure to visit www.muddychef.com for updates, news, challenges and more!If you have any questions please e-mail info@muddychef.com

 

hey event listing / 2015 MCC4

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Muddy Chef Challenge 4

Muddy Chef Challenge 4

The date has been selected! July 30 – Aug 2, 2015. We are excited to continue our relationship with Lime Rock Park as event host. Also, since last year several million dollars has been invested there in infrastructure and grounds. That means all new showers and facilities! Heck, we even have a Tequila sponsor. It’s going to be great!

REGISTER HERE

New this year – pick your campsite through an interactive map. We have VIP spots in reserve also.

Please visit …

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Teams and Food / 2014 Muddy Chef Challenge

A whole bunch of photos from the cooking challenge.  Just CLICK the image.  Please enjoy and distribute however you like.  Please be sure to thank our sponsors by tagging, hyperlinking, and with social media.  Most of the apparent duplicate photos in the directory are HDR images.

It’s impossible to view these and not start smiling!

Eric

 

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Land Rover lovers, it’s the Muddy Chef Challenge at Lime Rock; created by Madison man

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Published: Wednesday, July 23, 2014

By Sarah Page Kyrcz
Suzipage1@aol.com

 

 

Above, 1982 Land Rover 109 Stage 1, owned by James Wollschlager of Mystic. Photo by Eric Archer of Warwick, R.I.

LAKEVILLE >> Calling all Land Rover enthusiasts. Pack up your oriental rugs, leather chairs, Land Rover flags and signs, gourmet grub, camp grills and lots and lots of gusto and head up to Lime Rock Park for a weekend of off road adventure, fine food and drink and lots of camaraderie.

The Land Rover Muddy Chef Challenge 3 is an adventurous weekend for Land Rover drivers who want to push their vehicle to the limits in rivers, over mountains and through woods, all under supervision, of course. No wonder its founder calls it “part Great Race and Iron Chef.”Planned for July 31 through Aug. 3, Land Rovers will descend upon Lime Rock Park and spend the weekend at area venues and proving what rugged, sturdy vehicles they really are built to be.Muddy Snack from Christopher Macecsko on Vimeo.

Preregistration is required at http://muddychef.com/.

Aside from a camping fee of $35 a night, the event is free. Proceeds from a weekend raffle will benefit Autism Speaks, for more info visit http://www autismspeaks.org#sthash.iaELlP2p.dpuf.

“Land Rovers are your sort of rugged, safari, adventure-type vehicle,” says event creator Eric Yohe. As an owner of an unrestored, 1961 Land Rover Series IIA, the Madison resident is passionate about all things Land Rover and is a foodie.

Yohe arranged the first Muddy Chef in Stowe, Vermont and went on to host last year’s event in Mystic. Bringing the road race/cook-off to Lime Rock was a natural progression and embraced by the park’s Director of Business Development Walter Irvine, another Land Rover enthusiast, and former owner of a Land Rover LR2, who enjoys the “culture.”

“Off-roaders (are) very adventurous, typically very philanthropic, really up to doing crazy stuff like off-roading all day and then coming back and putting on a blazer and making a gourmet meal AT their truck,” Irvine explains.

Cooking a gourmet repast is part of the challenge. Attendees may cook whatever they can transport in their Land Rover. The dishes are then judged by an esteemed panel of fellow epicureans. No one walks away hungry and everyone has lots of fun concocting what they think is the tops in haute cuisine.

“It’s exciting and it’s nerve-wracking and you have to adapt, but it’s tons of fun,” says Madison participant Kristen Feeney.

How do fresh Nantucket bay scallops on a bed of local roasted sweet corn sound? To Yohe it sounded like a winning entry last year. Alas, other venturesome gourmands apparently served entries better tasting, better presented and better liked by the judges.

Away from the rugged terrain, attendees will put on their best cocktail attire – blazers and shorts and Lilly Pulitzer shifts – and visit two local venues.

The Falls Village Inn, complete with a taproom designed to honor the Lime Rock legacy, is “intimate and comfortable…A feel that honors not only Falls Village, but also that of Lime Rock Park, our famous neighbor,” says their website, http://www thefallsvillageinn.com/taproom.php.

Up the road in Dutchess County, New York, a long winding road will take guests to the Madava Farms where Crown Maple Syrup is tapped and refined to make a one of a kind maple syrup. While feeling like they have entered a Napa Valley winery, guests may partake in a maple syrup tasting in a finely appointed tasting room complete with a copper bar, website: http://www.crownmaple.com/visit-madava-farms.

Some of the events sound outrageous: “For those of you who want super rock crawler, smashed body panel gnarly you have access to Old Florida Road and MaBelle in Western, MA,” according tomuddychef.com. Yet Yohe stresses there is something for everyone.

“What I like about it the most is, despite the stressful things you have going in your life you really can’t think about anything else in your life except how am I going to get this vehicle and myself through these woods, over this obstacle,” Robert Wollschlager says. “It’s fantastic.”

Wollschlager, of Mystic, will join in on the fun with his dad, James. They will bring two of their four Land Rovers – a 1972 Land Rover Series 3 88 and 1982 Series 3 Stage- 1 V8 109.

Each morning there will be vehicle inspections and safety talks. The only prerequisite is that “your vehicle should be in good repair without any serious frame rust and able to handle basic off-road challenges.”

“The majority of our vehicles are the rare ones, the early ’60s ones, the ’70s … the classic Land Rovers,” Yohe says. In addition, the event draws drivers of “the Defender, which is what you see on safari…we get lots of those.”

Every morning, before venturing out there will be vehicle inspections and safety talks. The only prerequisite is that “your vehicle should be in good repair without any serious frame rust and able to handle basic off-road challenges.”

In need of a break from the rigors of off-roading, guests can head over to Orvis Sandanona Shooting Grounds in Millbrook, New York to experience sporting clays at “the oldest permitted shotgun shooting club in the country,” they boast on http://www.orvis.com/sandanona.

Back on the road, how about the Overland Challenge in the Housatonic State Forest?

“It’s sort of a high-tech Easter egg hunt,” says Yohe. “Drive to a spot with the GPS, get out and use the compass to go in the direction we tell you to go, start walking and you will find what ever it is. Somewhere in that forest is something to find like an orange flip-flop nailed to a tree.”

Whether you are an experienced off-roader or want to try it for the first time, love adventure and the thrill of the ride, or want to spend a weekend in the country learn more at Facebook/The Muddy Chef Challenge.

OutdoorX4 Magazine / MEDIA SPONSOR

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The mission of OutdoorX4 is to promote responsible 4×4 adventure travel along with the utility of 4×4 and dual-sport vehicles to enjoy all forms of outdoor recreation. In essence, we want to help create solidarity amongst all communities of adventure enthusiasts because at the end of the day, enjoying the great outdoors should be a right of which we all share rather than a privilege.

The Magazine

So what makes OutdoorX4 different from other publications? Well, for one our content is a hybrid of all areas of outdoor recreation and adventure. Whether you’re an avid 4×4 adventure traveler, mountain bike enthusiast, camp cooking aficionado, world-class fisherman, dual-sport motorcyclist or weekend warrior, OutdoorX4 is focused on providing the most engaging and unique content to appeal to the broadest range of outdoors enthusiast while providing expert advice in the field, suggestions on places to visit along with an expanded perspective on the history of the areas we travel, as well as dynamic photography that inspires the outdoors enthusiast to choose the road less traveled.

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Frank Ledwell, Editor-in-Chief

Frank is an avid explorer, adventurer, and advocate of responsible outdoor recreation and off-highway travel. Frank has had the fortune of traveling throughout the world, including destinations throughout North and Central America, as well as across Eastern and Western Europe. When he’s not cycling across Texas on his road bike or climbing in the Swiss Alps, he is touring the backcountry in remote destinations throughout the United States and abroad in his diesel Grand Cherokee.

Frank is the Editor-in-Chief of OutdoorX4. Additionally, he was the Co-Founder, Publisher, and Editor-in-Chief of JPFreek Adventure Magazine from 2006 through mid-2012 as well as publisher of several industry journals. He is a member of the Texas Auto Writers Association, and his articles on off-highway travel, adventure destinations, and product reviews have been featured in numerous publications. Frank resides in Texas with his family.

 

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John Herrick, Publisher

With a deep and varied background in business and a nose for keeping work fun while doing what he enjoys, John Herrick publishes OutdoorX4. John makes sure the book gets to subscribers and the newsstand while enjoying as many adventures as possible the rest of the time which also includes producing CRAWL Magazine as well as producing special outdoor events.

He’s been published as both a writer and photographer, an avocation he took up in his late teens.

An avid Jeep owner, John also enjoys desert racing, rock crawling, and other motorsports. With an eye towards responsibility, he heads the CRAWL Trail Foundation which promotes grass roots trail preservation.

John lives in Northern Nevada in the shadow of the Eastern Sierra, with his wife Pam of 30 years.

 

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Phil Golden, Director of Technology, Contributing Editor

Phil was born with a determined desire to explore. Whether by Jeep, dual-sport motorcycle, mountain bike, road bike, kayak or on foot, Phil pushes himself to go further and do more. Phil can often be found alone on his adventures as he enjoys the purity of being surrounded by nothing but wilderness. He recently traveled solo on the Continental Divide trail from Mexico to Canada, self-support by Jeep and completely off-highway. Additionally, he has logged over 6,000 miles and numerous legs of the Trans America Trail via dual-sport motorcycle from Tennessee to Oregon, and owns the oldest active geocache in the state of Louisiana.

Phil is an avid endurance cyclist, randonneur, and runner. When Phil is not pushing himself to the limit, he is on a mission to raise awareness for the rare terminal disease his son has called Adrenoleukodystrophy. He has written numerous articles and conducted several interviews regarding his awareness campaign – Expedition Awareness. While his passion runs deep for the great outdoors, it does not compare to that of his family.

Phil resides in Wichita Falls, Texas with his wife and three children.

 

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Jonathan Hanson, Overland Columnist

Jonathan Hanson’s expedition experience encompasses land and sea-scapes from Baja, Mexico to the Beaufort Sea, from the Libyan Desert to the Namib, and modes of transportation from sea kayaks to sailboats to bicycles to Land Cruisers and Land Rovers.

He has traveled among and worked with cultures as diverse as the Seri Indians and the Himba, the Inuit and the Maasai.

Jonathan has taught wildlife tracking, natural history writing, 4WD techniques, and other subjects for many conservation and government organizations. He is an elected fellow of the Explorers Club, and a charter member of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. His writing experience spans a dozen books and two dozen magazines, including Outside, National Geographic Adventure, Nature Conservancy, Sea Kayaker, and Backpacker.

Jonathan and his wife, Roseann, are the creators and owners of the Overland Expo, the largest adventure travel event of its kind in the world.

 

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Kraig Becker, Gear & Adventure Author

Kraig is a freelance writer and world traveler who covers mountaineering expeditions, polar exploration, adventure travel, and other outdoor pursuits.

He has served as the Media Director for the Primal Quest expedition adventure race and is the editor of The Adventure Blog.

He is a regular contributor to travel site Gadling.com and the outdoor blogs for The Clymb and the Wenger brand. He has also published stories with Outer Edge Magazine, National Geographic Adventure amongst others.

Kraig resides in Austin, Texas.

 

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Wes Craiglow, Contributing Author

Wes was bitten by the adventure bug at a young age, spending his boyhood exploring the family farm from sunup to sundown, annual vacations on lonely backroads across the rural South, and dedicating his summers to staff employment at a Boy Scouts camp.

When not on extended paid vacations to Southwest Asia for Uncle Sam, Wes can be found guiding backcountry trips and documenting routes, destinations, and stories in the U.S. and Central America.

Wes is the publisher and editor-in-chief of Central Overland, an online magazine dedicated to vehicle-based adventure travel, and resides in central Arkansas with his wife and two kids.

 

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Mark Stephens, Contributing Author

Mark is an adventurer who was born of, reared by, and educated in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert.

He has climbed the walls of Devil’s Canyon, trekked the trails throughout the Rocky Mountains, slept on the ground in most National Parks, rope-swung into a river here and there, driven the back roads of the southwest U.S. and Mexico, enjoyed song and cerveza in the cantinas of the Baja peninsula, and otherwise traveled like a backpacking pilgrim from British Columbia to Peru.

Mark holds a degree in English from Arizona State University; he learned from composition maestros such as Jeanne Dugan, Robert Krut, and G. Lynn Nelson. His work has been published in Overland Journal, Nissan Sport Magazine, Arizona Outdoorsman, and JPFreek Adventure Magazine. Mark and his wife are also the curators of Adventure Parents, a resource focused on the adventures of raising children to enjoy an active, outdoor lifestyle.

Mark resides in Arizona with his wife and two children.

 

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Allan & Jackie Ellis, Contributing Authors

Alan & Jackie are avid off-highway enthusiasts who have immersed themselves into a lengthy list of outdoor activities, be it land, water, or air.

Their primary recreation vehicle is a Jeep Rubicon and it has traveled all over the continental United States on backpacking, mountaineering, rock climbing, sailing, and skydiving adventures.

Additionally, Jackie and Alan are professional skydivers and work as instructors at Skydive Dallas in Texas.

You can follow their adventures on their site at Jackie and Alan’s Outdoor Adventures.

 

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Andrea Ledwell, Contributing Author

Andrea is the better half of our Editor-in-Chief.

Born and raised in Mississippi, Andrea spent her time as a child adventuring while on her bicycle and called the Smoky Mountains her second home.

Andrea is an avid explorer, artist, musician, mother, wife, adventurer, seeker of truth, and on a quest for all things beautiful and good.

 

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YETI Coolers! / Event Supporter/Sponsor

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We are pleased to announce Yeti coolers will be providing gifts, stickers and materials for The Muddy Chef Challenge!   Yeti and Land Rovers go together!  What a great way to support the MCC than via great stuff.  Stay tuned for more information about Yeti Coolers!

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TELL US YOUR STORY! / Submit your favorite story about your Land Rover (and win a prize!)

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Our Charity – Autism Speaks

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The Muddy Chef Challenge is a unique event.  Unique in that it’s completely FREE and run entirely by a dedicated VOLUNTEER staff of Land Rover lovers and enthusiasts.  This is no a “not for profit” event, it’s a ZERO profit event.  So when you consider other events that charge registration fees.  Ask yourself where does that money go?  This year we decided to go the extra step and find a charity to donate to. Classic Car Performance has donated a High Torque Land Rover (Series or V8) for a charity raffle.

We will sell raffle tickets at the event and donate 100% of the funds collected to Autism Speaks.

We figured if Wayne did it, we should too!

 

Cocktail Reception at The Madava Estate, home of Crown Maple Syrup

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An apres shooting and off-roading reception at the world famous Madava Estate, the home of Crown Syrup.  The finest syrup on earth!  It’s a fancy dress reception and there will be a prize for the best outfits as well as the funniest outfit.  So get your prep on at Crown Maple.