Garcia partnered with the author to take on the unfamiliar task of building a straw
bale house, beginning when the winter snows were still on the surrounding mountains and having the house under roof when the fall snows arrived.
"THIS LOOKS LIKE THE INSIDE OF A BARN," a friend of mine exclaimed when she visited my unfinished straw
bale house years ago.
Without the countless articles and inspiring people who have shared their stories, I wouldn't have built a straw
bale house (followed by an earth-sheltered, passive solar, active solar, VOC-paint-free, partially recycled house), logged with horses, milled those logs with a portable sawmill, started beekeeping, built an earth-sheltered chicken coop, planted fruit trees, experienced the benefits of homegrown produce, or tried my hand at a number of other projects.
She still has that sense of adventure, which is why the new straw
bale house [in Tiffin] got built.
There is also a huge power unleashed when we work collectively--whether it's gardening with our neighbors joining; starting a food co-op; demonstrating, boycotting, letter writing, or otherwise pushing politicians and corporations to clean up their acts; holding a straw
bale house raising; or getting together to teach ourselves some of the creative self-reliance skills that will help us adjust and adapt to the new normal of a changed climate.
This oval straw
bale house was designed by Ingrid Cryns of Soma Earth Architect and built in Erin, Ontario, by Harvest Homes.
Retired garda Gerry O'Carroll, who also joined in the search for John, told how another officer barred his way when he tried to enter the
Bale house.
Planning fight: Jim Wallis and his straw
bale house.
Jim built a straw
bale house on agricultural land, having attained planning permission for an educational centre.
Logan calls it the Straw
Bale House because the walls are constructed with dried straw bales, which are then covered in plaster.
In this work, a trio of professional straw
bale house builders and consultants provide guidance on the design and construction of straw bale buildings, offering chapters on all the expected issues and more, including building permits, budgeting, shopping for materials, common mistakes, and constructing with work parties.