I just received an email from Jeff Rupert. Some of you may know him from his dedication to the straw bale movement. He is an engineer who works in the field of straw bale construction and has for years. He has created a new blog along with the folks from The Last Straw (Of course you ALL know what that is, right!?) that covers straw bale construction and general green construction techniques. It looks to be a promising blog. Check it out here: http://www.buildearth.org
or here http://tls.buildearth.org.

Image from www.allposters.co.uk
I received a request from a woman in Central New York for help starting a straw bale support group. If you live in or near that area and are interested in being a part of this great venture, please respond to this post. Having a group of like minded people focusing on a common goal is very powerful. Not only will it be a resource for you when you start your own project, but the energetic strength of focusing your intentions in a group setting will start to remove potential barriers before they even show up. I have seen this work in my own life and support this type of connection whenever possible.

Do you have an intention to build with straw bales?
Do you live in or near central New York?
Do you want to connect with others who share a similar dream of living in a bale house?
Do you want support in your dreams and to support others in theirs?

This is the place to start creating that support. I hope you are inspired to join and make something special together.

I have written in the past about performing the steps necessary to identify the perfect place to build your house. I fully believe in the importance of knowing your site before you build or even design and furthermore suggest that the information regarding your building site be premiere amongst the important data you work with when designing your home.

As a contractor, there is another site evaluation that needs to happen. Consider that the building plans are already complete and the siting of the house has been decided. What else is there to consider about site evaluation?
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Below is the link to the recent briefings on Straw Bale Construction at the US Congress. This is a potentially exciting move for the world of straw bale construction. I know how slowly the US Congress can move, so my breath is bated although not held!
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Okay so it’s not poop, but it could be from a distance! These are piles of extra concrete. It is so important to calculate materials well and it could be the straw that breaks your back. (I meant that pun by the way.) In this case, the truck load was too short for what the concrete guys had planned so they had to thin the slab thickness which ultimately left a lot of excess concrete. To be sure, I mentioned it to the concrete company owner. It was a mistake, and not a huge deal because the slab in this case was so small; however, on a big job, the little extras can run wild quickly.
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Last summer, an F-5 tornado ripped through the City of Greensburg, Kansas and destroyed much of the City. Officials there have made a commitment to rebuild their city using green technologies. As it stands now, they plan to use conventional construction methods and simply add green features. I would like to see something bigger. I would like to see the City embrace a whole new style of construction for their rebuild: straw bale construction.
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I want to live in a country that supports Green Construction and healthy living. I want to see more people building green homes and driving efficient vehicles. I want to see the health and strength of my community grow. That is going to take action, not just desire.

Today, the price of oil went up by more than $2 per barrel at its peak. I remember when oil prices were approaching $60 and I thought that was high. Today the price landed at a new high of $88.20 per barrel before retreating a little. As I watched the financial report about this upward trend, I was saddened by the reporter’s comments about the average American consumer and our impact on the entire planet.
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September 29 & 30 – save the date!

John and Julie Ufkes are putting up a pole barn this summer, and wrapping it with straw bales this fall to keep their horses warm. They will be hosting a straw bale wall raising the last weekend of September, led by Dallas Green.

This is a free event, camping is available on site, and lunches will be provided. Please contact Julie for more information at jufkes@fairpoint.net.

I have thought for years about a new name for straw bale construction. In truth, my thoughts have been casual over that time. I am at a turning point where I would like to invest in the depth of this group to ask the question: What is a better name for straw bale construction?
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I hope you can forgive the following marketing! I am close enough to completion on two exciting projects to make an announcement today. In the next few months, we will be releasing a new DVD which will give step by step instruction on how to build a Load Bearing Straw Bale structure!
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Ecoversity in Santa Fe, New Mexico is a hands on learning center that focuses on all things sustainable from natural building to conscious sociology. This summer they are offering a series of free classes and workshops to introduce people to their campus and classes.
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Antony Brown, the Director of the Ecosa Institute in Prescott, Arizona recently held a free workshop in order to introduce kids to environmentally sustainable construction. The workshop was aimed at high school kids with an interest in architecture.
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Below is an invitation to the 2006 ISBBC. This should be a great event for beginners and experts alike.
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