We will cover everything from foundations and framing to baling techniques and rendering with lime putty. Feel free to bring your own building plans and/or ideas with you and we can go over them during the evening. Of course, once the building portion of our day is over, there’s always the evening fun! We play music, talk straw bale, tell jokes, and generally have a blast with folks of like mind.

You can sign up for the class and/or learn more about the West Wyalong workshop here. Again, I hope you can join us March 10-16 for a week of fun and learning.

www.reachingfortheheavens.wordpress.com

You wouldn’t be the first person to try and carry a piece of plywood up a ladder by yourself. You might be the first to do it without hurting yourself! When working alone we are faced with many difficulties that would otherwise be simple for people working in groups or pairs. One of these is getting plywood up to a roof structure. Here are a couple options to consider, based on the size of the job at hand.

A simple way to get a bunch of sheets to the roof is to build a simple rack out of framing lumber (2x4s are fine) on the ground onto which you stack your plywood sheets. Make it tall enough so that you can pull the sheets from the roof and install them in place. Be sure to install the first sheet on the roof directly in front of the rack to increase the safety of the setup. Don’t forget to make sure that piece is in line with the general layout of the roof and the plywood that will cover it!

Sometimes the idea of building a rack is over the top because it will take more time and materials than the job you have to do on the roof. For example, perhaps the majority of the roof is already sheathed and you simply need to get the last two pieces up that were not in your original material calculations.  The crew that you had to help install the rest of the sheets is gone, so now it’s up to you. In this case, carrying a sheet or two up a ladder can be the easiest way to do it. Now don’t plan on carry the sheet over your shoulder, as that’s a recipe for disaster. Instead, use a C-Clamp attached firmly to the leading edge of the sheet as a handle. It’s quick, easy, and inexpensive and it will make carrying the sheet so much easier.

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• Barn stored straw bales for sale. Intermediate Wheatgrass (2′to 3′ stems).
• Have used this type on my own straw bale house.
• Contact Scott at 308-672-0877 or Scott@supremehay.com.
• Trucking can be arranged.

www.tm.org

I was recently talking with Gabriella about our business and we both realized just how lucky we are. There are a number of reasons that we consider ourselves lucky, actually a better way to say it is that we are grateful, but one big one came to the forefront during our conversation. It is that we love what we do. The more we spoke, the clearer it became that the reason we love what we do is that we are passionate about it. We truly believe in what we are doing and that makes our “work” not really work.

In this realization, I had the thought about other people in the world. How many of them are living their passion and how many are simply living to survive? So many people have gotten stuck in the machine of our culture, so stuck that they don’t even notice it anymore. They go to work each day at a job they don’t like so they can make enough money to pay for all their stuff (flat screen TVs in each room, multiple cars, a closet full of shoes, and so on). Beyond their stuff, a huge portion of their paycheck goes to pay a mortgage or rent on a house that’s bigger than they actually need. Wal-Mart and other corporations would have them believe that they are living the American Dream, but if they stop long enough to take a look from “outside their life” they may tell you otherwise. A friend of mine once asked me “are you thriving or surviving?” and that’s exactly the question I have for you.

How many of us can actually say that we love our work? How many are excited to show up at their job and know that their presence there is supporting a bigger picture view of what they want to accomplish in life? As Gandhi encouraged us to “be the change we wish to see in the world,” I wonder how many are actually heeding that call. Ask yourself if you are one of the few. If you are not, what’s stopping you?

I have heard from many people over the years (myself included) that the fear of not having enough (money, food, shelter, etc) can be crippling. The thinking sounds something like this: “I don’t like my job, but at least I can afford to buy food and have a nice house. Some day, I’ll do the things I truly want to do, but for now, I can’t risk losing my job.” It’s seemingly sound thinking, after all, who would want to risk losing their job; especially in the current sagging economy? But there is pervasive sadness in the words “some day.” It’s sad to me because so many people never reach that “some day.” The fear of loss is ALWAYS too big for them and so they stay trapped in their jobs, surviving, and wishing their life looked different somehow.

Taking a risk and stepping out into the world of thriving is scary, no doubt; however, when you find your passion and you fully connect to what you want to accomplish in life, everything will line up and you will find support from places you may not have known even existed. You may call it God, the Universe, Spirit, or any other name. It is the undeniable certainty that when you are aligned with your inner truth, obstacles will fall away and you will thrive. I have seen this happen over and over again in my own life and in the lives of my friends and family. To me, it’s simply true. Unfortunately, the machine of our society has got such a strong grip on so many people that many don’t have a clue what their passion even is. They may hope to find it (if they are awake enough to notice they are missing it), but with so much “noise” in the world, that can be hard to do.

A great way to start is to get grounded and quiet. The most obvious distraction that many people live with and actually seem to like having around is the TV. I know I tend to harp on TV a bit, but that’s because I truly see it as a poisonous part of our society meant to do one thing: encourage us to spend more money on stuff we don’t need. If you watch TV, like most Americans do, you probably have it on at least 5 hours a day, most likely in the evenings.  Just think of all the peaceful and productive time one could have, every day, if they didn’t drown out their passion and inner quiet with TV.

Here’s a simple (it may not seem it at first) way to start getting quiet: unplug your TV and don’t turn it back on for at least one month. Completely disconnect yourself from it. If you go to a bar or restaurant that has a TV on, sit so that you are not facing it. Do whatever you can to completely separate yourself from the culture of television for the month. In the time that you used to spend watching TV, do something “real.” That could be playing board games or cards with your family, learning to speak a new language, reading books, sitting quietly and simply being. The point is to get your feet back on the ground and to connect with “real life: yours.

With your feet on the ground and your inner landscape afforded a bit more space and quiet, see what comes up for you. Ask yourself, each day, what your passion is and what change you would like to see in the world. Draw a picture of what the perfect world would look like in your mind. Write down what it is that makes it so wonderful. Ask yourself what you can do to make this picture and story become a reality. Over time, or perhaps suddenly, you will find yourself awakening to your passion.

I believe there is more to truly landing in your passion than simply turning off your TV, but this is a starting point, a place to get your toes into the water. If you want to continue to journey, which I hope you do, I suggest taking a two-week vision quest (whatever that means to you) once you have found your initial calm. Perhaps sitting in the woods alone for two weeks with nothing but food, shelter and a place to write down your thoughts would be a good idea.  Perhaps taking an official vision quest with a respected leader while holding a specific intention is your path. There are many ways to continue this journey and to find your passion. Which one is right for you will become clear, once you get quiet.

What I want most for you right now is to simply inspire you to ask yourself if you are thriving or surviving. I hope that many of you will answer “thriving,” but I also know that even the most amazing people in my life have been stuck in the survival mode before. There’s no shame in it. It simply is what it is. If you are not where you want to be, ask yourself what’s in the way of you getting there. Once you start asking these questions, take time to really listen for the answers. When you find the answers, act on them. It may not be any easy journey and it will likely have its discomforts for you along the way, but the journey itself and the landing place you discover are both very much worth the effort.

www.inhabitat.com

I just received an email in which a man asked about using bales below grade, as in an earth-bermed house. He wants to use bales due to their high insulative value, but is concerned about the effects of moisture on the bales. I too would be concerned about the moisture. We are trying to figure out a way to make it work as it would be a great marriage for sure!

I suggested that if he could find a way to use a material that would provide a break between the bales and the backfill, it may be possible. In other words, he would need to place the backfill against a structural element (what is yet to be determined, but perhaps concrete and a plastic waterproof membrane?) that would provide the strength and protection from ground moisture. He could then stack bales (the back side pre dipped in plaster for fire protection) slightly away from that wall so to leave a ventilation channel between the bales and the backfill assembly. That channel may need mechanical help in providing adequate air movement to protect the bales from moisture.

Seems a bit over the top to me, but I would like to see what other options you may have for such a job. I would really like to see this as a possibility in the future. Thanks for any input you are willing to share.

So here’s my question: do you want to be a part of this class? I know that taking two weeks off of work can be hard, if not impossible, for some people. That said, many of you will have no problem with the time frame and will be ready to jump in. In order to make a commitment to the class, I need to make sure I have adequate participation, otherwise, it would not be fair to the host or those who do sign up. So, I am offering a short-term discount of $200 for anyone who signs up for the class in the next two weeks. That’s two weeks for you to decide and $200 for you to save.

Click here to make your non-refundable deposit and to secure your spot (if I don’t get enough people for the workshop, I will refund your deposit in full).  If you want to learn more about the class, please email me directly with your questions. I have not set up an official page on the workshops website yet as this class is still tentative (as mentioned above) so any questions need to be directed to me personally. The deposit is $400; however, if you sign up before February 1, simply use the coupon code “early bird” and your deposit will be cut in half.

Perhaps you recently started, or even completed, your own straw bale project. Did you get financing? Did you get a standard mortgage or did you have to get creative? What was your down payment percentage? Were you able to use local financing or did you have to shop around to a larger, more national scale market? Any and everything you can share with me is appreciated.My goal here is to create a document to help other people learn what it takes to finance their straw bale dream. I have lots of people ask me about finding specific lenders who will loan on straw bale. I can see the importance of having an updated list of lenders available (in other words, please supply me with names and contact information for those who provided your funding as well so I can list them in the document); however, I think it’s more important to know what details are involved in finding financing no matter where you live and who is immediately available to you.

My point is simply this: if I can help teach people how to get financing in any market, then the list of those willing to provide financing will continue to grow. If we stick with the same lenders over and over again, the list will ultimately shrink as policies and personnel change as we have seen over the last few years. It’s like the old saying: give a person a fish and they will have a meal. Teach a person to fish and they will never go hungry.

If you have details to offer, whether it is names and contact information for lenders, or details of what it took to get financing, please email me directly (Andrew@strawbale.com) and share that information. I look forward to compiling everything I get and putting it in one place for people to use.  The more recent your data, the better, by the way as I’ve found that even people I used to rely on for funding have stopped providing it in the “new” financing market.  Thanks for your help!

The reality is that 90% of the straw bale homes that are denied coverage are denied not because they are more dangerous than conventional homes but because the insurance agents, underwriters, and/or the insurance companies themselves don’t understand what they are dealing with when presented with a straw bale home.  They have al kinds of images in their heads about what it means to build a house out of straw and, yes, most of those images are related to the three little pigs. As unfunny as that is, it’s true.

So, here’s how you can help. If you have insurance on your straw bale home, please email me with as much detailed information as you can about how you made it happen. Send me your agent’s name and contact information, details about the application process and policy, and anything else you think would be helpful for others to know. Together we can provide people with a document that prepares them for a successful journey into the insurance world, something that has not been the norm for straw bale house owners over the years.

You can email me directly with your information (Andrew@strawbale.com). Thanks so much for sharing anything you can!

The last few months for me have been an incredible experience. As many of you know, my wife, 12-year-old daughter and I have been living the simple life in Mexico. In fact, most of that time has been spent living on a beach in a small (very small) tent trailer. In that time, we have come to see what things are important in life and which are simply not. The most obvious things of importance are family, health, happiness, food, clean water, and safe shelter. I think we can all agree that those things are important. Are there other things that land on your “important list?” There certainly could be. Here’s my list as it stands today (keep in mind that some may be doubles or subsets of previous items) and I’m keenly aware that this list changes almost daily as new joys enter my life.

That Which Is Important

• Love
• Family
• Health
• Joy
• Clean Water
• Safe Shelter
• Healthy Food
• Freedom (define this as you may as it means many things to me)
• An Open Heart
• An Open Mind
• A Sense of Humor
• A Willingness to Forgive and Be Forgiven
• Compassion
• Quiet (inside and out)
• Peace (inside and out)
• Clean Air
• Laughing
• Crying
• Listening
• Connection With Nature
• Money (This can be on either list depending on your relationship with it)

So what about the things we don’t need? As I mentioned at the end of my list, the M word can potentially find itself listed as something of importance or something that we don’t need. How do you relate to money? Do you see it as the root of all evil or something to help spread joy? Perhaps it’s somewhere in between for you. Like everything else on your lists (assuming you decide to take some time to create lists like these) I would hope that you really look at the truths underneath, in between, and around all of your beliefs. I use money as a trigger point here because it is so often surrounded by story and beliefs that come from generations past, the “norm” of community around us, or some other outside influence. So look at what’s true for you with regard to all things “important” and “not important.”

That Which Is Not Important

• TV
• A Big House
• Video Games
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Stuff (the things that commercials tell us we need)
• More than 2 or 3 Pairs of Shoes
• A Huge Wardrobe
• Double Master Suite Sinks
• A “Great Room”
• A Big Refrigerator (the extra food will only end up rotting)
• Anything you can’t actually use to make your life better (I mean truly better)

It’s actually really funny that as I write the list of things that are not important, I find that I can’t seem to describe the items I want to list. I wonder why. Perhaps it’s because I really don’t focus on those things anymore? I don’t know. The phrase that keeps coming to mind is “all the junk that our society says we need…when in fact, we really don’t need it.” I had an “aha” moment the other day when we spent a night at a hotel and watched TV. I was so disturbed by all of the commercials (not to mention the programming itself…what a waste of energy) as it seemed that everybody was trying to sell me something. My wife pointed out that this was of course true, as that is the purpose of commercials.

I know it seems silly, but somehow I had not really noticed that I was being bombarded with sales pitches all day long via TV, billboards, radio ads, and more. It had become part of my landscape. Now having been away from it for so long, it was painfully obvious. I bet that if you spent a month without any TV whatsoever, you too would have a similar experience. In fact, many of you may have just taken a deep breath of discomfort just in hearing the suggestion of not watching TV for a month. It has become such a part of so many people’s lives, that living without it seems scary. Why? What will you miss? What might happen to you if you don’t watch TV?

If you are inspired to ask yourself some tough questions, I hope that you will take the time and courage to do just that. Finding out for yourself what things are truly important is a first step to living a simple life. After all, if you don’t know what things really matter, it’s easy to lose focus and spread your attention to all kinds of things. That weakens your energy and your ability to create what you want in your life in the same way that spreading a tiny piece of butter over toast seems to make the butter simply disappear, not increase the flavor of the bread.

So, where to start? I offer this suggestion again: disconnect your TV for a month. Experience your life without it and see what happens. I think you’ll be amazed at how much time you have, especially in the evenings, to do things that inspire you. Read a book, learn a language, play with your family, or discover some other place to find joy in your life. With the TV gone, you’ll have lots of time to really explore other important questions. Maybe make yourself lists of your own. What’s really important? When you know the answer to that question, you can start lining up the details of your life to support those things and to let go of those that are not important and serve only as a distraction from that which really matters.