Striking a balance: The harvest of an HCC director
Jul 11, 2016
Leading a double life. That is what Dr. Douglas Rowlett, director of the Houston Community College (HCC) Digital Information and Technology Center of Excellence has been doing for more than a decade. His workdays are filled with attending meetings, supervising faculty, and ensuring the curriculum remains on the cutting edge of technology. His evenings and weekends however, are drastically different.
“We grow commercial premium wine grapes for the Texas wine industry,” says Rowlett who lives on a wine farm with wife Linda in Industry, a community 80 miles west of Houston.
For a long time Rowlett raised his family in Pearland. Owning and working his own land was a dream- one that became reality when his children grew up. He and Linda started looking at different options of land in the country.
“We decided that we were not going to settle,” said Rowlett. “If one of us loved a place and the other person didn’t that was not allowed.”
The search for land 16 years ago resulted in the discovery of a large piece of property that had been vacant for at least 50 years. It was rustic, but so breathtaking-- the couple immediately fell in love with it.
“It is beautiful. It is a gorgeous place; an absolute beautiful spot,” said Rowlett.
The vineyard was not there initially but had plenty of potential. For that reason Rowlett decided to put the same energy he uses in his day-to-day job at HCC to his passion for farming.
“Patience and hard work. It is important to have the ability to see big picture and to see what this tiny little seedling in the vineyard is and how, in three years, it is going to be a great vine.”
It is seeing the big picture that has made Dr. Rowlett a distinguishing force at HCC for more than two decades.
“We start a program small with just a few students but we can see down the road. By looking at the proper data, we can predict how a field is going to grow.”
At Paradox House, the name of Rowlett’s farm, he uses state-of-the art equipment to measure the acidity and sugar of the fruit that will determine if the grapes are ready to harvest.
“The farming begins in January. The green grapes are usually ready to harvest in July. The red grapes will be ready in August,” explained Rowlett.
The production of Paradox House, varies. Some years, it has produced 5 tons, others up to 16 tons. Far from the production however, for the couple, their enjoyment, they claim, comes from the balance.
“You have to have more than your daily job. I love the technology but I want something else to do with my time as well.
For the two harvests, Paradox House organizes volunteer drive that culminates in food, fellowship and a good harvest party.
