I recently received a comment from a gentleman in Missouri who told me “…recently our area of Missouri approved a grant for the construction of straw bale homes offering a $15,000 construction reimbursement for the building of straw bale homes…” Wow! That is a great deal and something I would like to learn more about.
If you have any other details about this program, I would love to hear about it. I would like to know who started the grant program, how it is funded, how owners cash in, what limitations are on the grant, and anything else you can tell me. I would love to use this as a pilot program for other towns, cities, counties and perhaps on the national level! Incentives work well for many people and perhaps a few areas offering incentives will help grow this powerful technology! If anyone out there has information about similar programs in other parts of the World, please let us know. When we gather this information together, we can start to look for similarities and ways to expand these programs. I am excited!
About the Author
Andrew Morison is a specialist in straw bale and green construction. He has shown thousands of people how to build their own straw bale projects through his comprehensive series of instructional straw bale, concrete foundation, and plastering DVDs. You can check these out at http://www.LearnStrawBale.com.com.
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October 25th, 2007 at 12:49 pm
I’m not sure where you got your info about the grant in Missouri, but I have been e-mailing Richard Lorenz with the University of Missouri extension and know that he is offering help with this same subject. His website is http://www.cardinalbluff.com/
Hope this helps.
October 26th, 2007 at 8:11 am
Andrew,
Yes we have a grant program in Missouri. It is a grant of $15,000 from HUD toward the materials to each of 10 houses. The grant is available in six counties in the south central region, Douglas, Ozark, Wright, Texas, Howell and Shannon counties. Top of the Ozarks RC&D Inc. in Houston, Missouri, obtained the grant from HUD and is managing the program. The homeowner, principal occupant, must build the house to the IBC and the Oregon Straw Bale Code and upon final inspection will receive the $15,000. There are no size or design requirements as long as the house meets the building codes. Our goal is to see 10 happy families living energy efficient in straw bale houses in the Ozarks For more information on this program contact Richard Lorenz at lorenzr@missouri.edu
October 29th, 2007 at 12:24 pm
Darn. that puts me, in Henry County, a bit too far north! I would love to learn of things like this if they come to the Henry County area.
November 12th, 2007 at 10:28 am
I’m glad to see Missourians talking about this because I have felt alone in the interest of building a straw bale home here in Kansas City. I dream of one day owning a straw bale home. I was wanting to find out more about grants too. I thought the government gave a grant for environmentally friendly homes as long as you meet guidelines. Does anybody know anything about this? Also what can I/we do to get grants approved in our area?
Please feel free to forward this to anyone who may be able to answer my questions.
November 17th, 2007 at 8:45 pm
I was enrolled in the “Straw Bale Initiative.” I was the first one enrolled – and for a long time the only one. Perhaps I was the only one ever – I don’t know. I resigned from the program a few months ago. I don’t know if anyone else is actually enrolled and actively building a straw bale house. I don’t believe so. The program has been seeking home builders for about 2 or 2 1/2 years now. I am continuing to build my own home to, and beyond, the standards of the IBC, and where it applies, the Oregon Building Code – just not as a part of the program mentioned above.
November 17th, 2007 at 9:01 pm
Bill,
What caused you to resign from the program? Are there things that could have been done better that might have kept you involved and/or enrolled more people?
Andrew
November 18th, 2007 at 8:16 pm
Andrew,
The entire experience with the Straw Bale Initiative demonstrated to me the real meaning behind that old worn-out punch line, “I’m from the government and I’m here to help you.â€Â
The nonsense was overwhelming.
Bill
November 19th, 2007 at 1:38 pm
Thanks for the feedback Bill. I hope it helps those who may follow in your path towards the program.
Andrew
November 21st, 2007 at 8:01 am
To Bill Wright,
If you are still building or are considering constructing outbuildings, have you thought about hosting week-end straw bale workshops? I live in central Illinois. Most workshops I have found via the internet are 2 to 3 states away, or at least 7-8 hours drive away, but most of Missouri is only half a days drive. Thanks.
November 21st, 2007 at 8:38 am
Beth and Bill,
If that does happen, let me know. I have a pretty full workshop schedule in 2008, but could probably fit a weekend workshop in. Most of my workshops are 7 days long as this is a great length to really teach the details. A weekend workshop can work too, but it is certainly more rushed.
November 22nd, 2007 at 7:55 am
Oh, my! I had never considered such….. but…. perhaps… (For Beth and Andrew – let’s talk)
I have just received my straw and am about to place an order for the NHL (no, not hockey, lime). My house is 2640 sq ft so there will be plenty of bales to be placed and stuccoed. Hmmm, lots of learning possibilities, aren’t there?
November 27th, 2007 at 3:09 am
Hi guys!
I just discovered this site…fantastic! I live in Hawaii and I’m ready to partecipate in a hand-on workshop.I want to build my straw-bale house!Please let me know of any workshop happening in the west area. I can’t believe how much ignorance about straw bale construction is out there…when I talk about it most of the people think I’m pulling their leg…
Also, very interesting the government grant…Is there a way that I can start something here in Hawaii?
Aloha to everyone!
November 27th, 2007 at 7:26 am
Giovanni,
I am glad you like the website. I hope it continues to bing you the information you are looking for. In terms of workshops in the West, I have a number happening in Oregon, and other parts of the World as well. Check out http://www.StrawBaleWorkshops.com for more schedule information. For the government program, I think there is a lot of foot work to do before that would fly in a new area. Honestly, I am not sure what would have to happen to get it started, but I bet enthusiasm would be a good start!
Andrew
November 30th, 2007 at 7:11 am
Great site Andrew!
Bill in MO and Leslie and IL, let me hear from you. I have been studying strawbale for years and I am located in StL, MO. I have been dreaming of the day when i begin building my strawbale home so some practical experience and some people to talk to in the area may be the catalyst needed. You can reach me at tom_is@yahoo.com
January 16th, 2008 at 6:12 am
I too would be interested in a workshop if you do it Bill. I am in western TN and have thought about SB for many years, but never been involved with an actual build. You can email me at shane@scwdp.com if you do something.
Thanks
January 16th, 2008 at 7:59 am
Be sure to keep an eye on my workshop site http://www.StrawBaleWorkshops.com as I may be adding dates in your state or at least near you. I have a few more dates coming soon that I am in the process of securing locations for.
March 19th, 2008 at 5:17 am
Unfortunately, the grant program is restricted to Douglas, Ozark, Wright, Howell, Texas and Shannon counties, which are all in the middle of nowhere. What a cruel joke! Only a unabomber type would take them up on this offer. It’s about as desirable as a grant to move to Chernobyl.
March 19th, 2008 at 8:51 am
John said, “…program is restricted to Douglas, Ozark, Wright, Howell, Texas and Shannon counties, which are all in the middle of nowhere. What a cruel joke!”
Amusing, John. Those counties are in the Ozarks, which are all low income counties and obviously where such a program is most needed. The concept is marvelous; the administration of it – not so marvelous.
May 12th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
Andrew, I bought your dvd and really enjoyed it. i am from Medford but havent lived there for 12 years. i am now moving to Joplin Mo and would like to build sb there.
I visit Medford just about every summer as all of my family stilll resides there. I would love the opportunity to see one of the homes that you have built.
I will be in touch with the others that live in MO that are interested in SB.
Thanks for your comitment.
Kirk Botefur
May 13th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
I am also a missourian unfortunatly even though i live right by those counties i would not qualify for a grant either. Any way they might expand….Also i am very interested in learning as to how someone might go about building straw bale in mo i am going to hopefully soon if someone is building or plan on building and would like some help… i have built houses before just not straw house…i would love the experience….I live in springfield, mo please dont hesitate to contact me.
May 17th, 2008 at 8:17 am
Austin,
You can get lots of hands on experience at my workshops. Check out http://www.StrawBaleWorkshops.com if you want more information. Unfortunately, I do not know if the program will expand any time soon. I certainly hope it will.
May 29th, 2008 at 7:10 pm
Hi,
Does anyone have any good resources for building a straw bale home in Kansas City MO?! Is is even permitted within city limits and have the grants made it to our area yet?
Thanks for your help!
June 12th, 2008 at 11:27 am
Sharon,
You might try contacting the folks listed on this page: http://sbregistry.greenbuilder.com/search.straw?lcou=United%20States&lsta=MO They have bale structures in Missouri and are probably the most likely folks to have local recommendations for you. Good luck.
Andrew
June 20th, 2008 at 9:27 am
I wanted to let everyone know about our straw bale project. We are building a straw bale winery in Dent County, MO (just 4 miles north of the Shannon County line). You can check out our progress at our website http://www.CountsHollow.com. We are to the point of starting the walls and would love help from anyone who is interested in learning more about the technique. So far we’ve done all the work ourselves- rght down to milling the lumber. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you’d like more info 573-247-9660.
June 28th, 2008 at 7:41 am
Denise, just read your note about building in Dent County, Hope
January 24th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
I just discovered this site and was looking to find out if anyone in the Springfield Missouri area is working or getting ready to work on a project of their own. My wife and I would like to see a home up close sometime soon. Also, has anyone had any issues with the humidity in Missouri? Any other issues unique to building SB in Missouri? Thanks.
June 16th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
I have just been introduced to the straw bale home. I have been getting ready to build myself a small, and very primitive cabin out of standard construction materials. But now I’m excited and very interested in the concept of using bales. I’m located in Pulaski county Missouri. So if anyone needs an extra free hand building a straw home anywhere in Missouri on the weekends let me know. I’m very experienced in all types of home and land development. But know nothing about straw homes.
Thanks
Cole
November 2nd, 2009 at 7:56 am
Re: Cole R. Jones
Hi, My name is Ben and I have connections in rural North Missouri where I grew up. I have been between Colorado and Michigan lately developing skills for straw bale construction. Do you want to pursue straw bale techniques still? Let me know.
Thanks, Ben
December 1st, 2009 at 7:01 pm
This is cool! I just did a word search using “straw bale home builders architects Missouri,” & up came this blog as one of the choices. I am presently living in So.Calif., but planning to move to the Ozarks in the next couple of years – somewhere around the College of the Ozarks (aka “Hard Work U,”) so my daughter can attend there. I have several books & videos on bale houses, & attended a bale building workshop sponsored by RealGoods(.com) at the Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies on the Cal Poly Pomona campus several years ago. I have already roughed out the floor plan, but am looking for a builder/architect in or near that area, who’s familiar with the local codes. I know if a bale house is not already in the county in which you plan to build, one must work a little harder with the local officials, so I am doing my homework early. I checked out the Green Builders website a while back, but thanks for the link to the locator page, Andrew. I will check it out again, & stay close to this site as well. I also saw a couple of other links on the search page that might help, too. Great site you have here! Thanks, PK
December 2nd, 2009 at 9:53 am
Welcome PK! Glad you’re happy with what you’ve found. Let me know if you need help as you move forward.
December 2nd, 2009 at 5:11 pm
Thank, Andrew. From what I’ve read here, it appears that the state of Missouri uses the Oregon building codes. I might have trouble locating local builders familiar with the techniques in the Ozarks & that worries me, since I’m turning 57 this month, female, a getting wee bit “creaky” if you know what I mean.
Green Builders didn’t list anyone in Taney County, MO, but I found a couple of builders through another online website, though I doubt if they know straw bale. I’ll have to call them I guess. I could also check adjacent counties.
Questions, questions… What does one do without such people locally? Should I contact the county building officials first? Should I send my rough plan to a green architect anywhere in MO, who can then advice a local builder who’s unfamiliar with it? My heart has been set on this for years. Seems to me it can’t be all that difficult since bale houses are now in every state from what I gather.
I now see that one of the earlier posters here (Joseph, 1/24/09,) was looking to locate a bale home near Springfield, MO to see one close up. That’s about 30-40 miles north of Taney County. Is there anyway you can e-mail him to see if he’s found any nearby?
December 2nd, 2009 at 5:20 pm
I would suggest you contact the building department to see what advice they have to offer. Do this anonymously though, in case they have a sour taste about straw bale. You don’t want to get stuck with a bad wrap before you even get started. They should be able to give you some direction.
You may need to get some consulting from me if you end up with a contractor who isn’t familiar with SB construction. That way, you can use a regular contractor and I can help bring him/her up to speed with bale construction.
I don’t have Joseph’s email anymore. Hopefully he’ll see your post here and make contact.
December 2nd, 2009 at 5:40 pm
Wow! That was quick! In reviewing some of these posts, I see there are a few links of interest to me, as well as Mr. Lorenze’s mention of several counties where the grants were issued. I think a couple of those are near Taney Co. Do you think Mr. Lorenze would know which counties other than the ones he cited would have bale homes? I’ll try e-mailing him. Worth a shot.
Yes, I can see where you and this site would come in very handy for those unfamiliar with bales. Thanks for the offer. I gave thought to that a long time ago.
Someone mentioned the humidity factor in MO. I would think to choose rice straw if possible, since it’s high in silica, & then make sure they stay before dry during the building process. 45″ average rainfall where I’m headed. I’ll be doing post & beam, & I’ve read that the roof can actually go on before the walls are filled in, & that rain hitting the sides of an exposed bale is no biggie, since it doesn’t penetrate downward. Once plastered, no worries, right? Guess I need to snoop around your site here, eh? LOL
December 2nd, 2009 at 7:20 pm
December 3rd, 2009 at 10:09 pm
Will do, thanks! I watched a couple of your You Tube Videos last night, too. Great stuff.
February 6th, 2010 at 5:08 am
I am a contractor with over 30 yrs experience in conventional construction and live in my 2,000sf loadbearing strawbale home in Taney Co, MO between Branson and Springfield, MO. I am getting geared up to offer construction services for strawbale and am researching new additional grants and building a website at this time. As far as I know I live in one of the few strawbale homes in the state. But my wife and I love it and would never live in another conventional home. The need is out there for economical, self-sustaining, green construction and I’m very interested in getting some homes up this year.
February 7th, 2010 at 7:57 pm
Awesome Lonnie! Best of luck and success to you.
March 7th, 2010 at 5:32 am
My husband and I live in NW MO and will be building our straw bale house within the next two years on our farm and celebrating the demolition of the old farm house which is the typical energy-consuming dinosaur. We have a neighbor who has built 15 straw homes and lives in his 13 year old straw home. He’s our inspiration and we are feeling confident to create our dream home with the types of resources you offer on your web site and his help.
One of my questions is other straw bale home owners experience with home owners insurance. One straw bale owner said they didn’t disclose to their homeowners ins company that their home was insulated with straw as the form didn’t ask. What is the climate of home owners insurance on straw homes?
Debbie
March 19th, 2010 at 8:57 am
Congratulations Debbie. Sounds like an exciting time! Insurance can be difficult for sure. It’s mostly that insurance companies want to insure things they know and understand as they don’t like taking risks. You can try telling an insurance company or two and see what reflections you get. I always suggest that people leave the option of saying my house is post and beam with cellulose insulation. That is all 100% true (assuming it’s post and beam of course) and doesn’t raise any red flags. As I’ve said before, how often do you hear people talking about their fiberglass insulation house? Not very often…it’s just insulation and so are the bales. Good luck.
April 5th, 2010 at 11:12 am
Are there any HUD grant monies left for homeowners who build with straw bale construction in Ozark County, Missouri?
Mary
Aril 5, 2010
thnx.