Monthly Archives

October 2017

Oct 29
Love1

Goodbye Strawtron

By Strawtron
Straw Bale Timber Frame House: Strawtron

Sayonara, Strawtron

Almost four years ago, April and I moved from Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage in northeast Missouri to Berea, Kentucky to try and find land to start developing a homestead. When we left, we put our straw bale and timber frame home, Strawtron up on the market. This fall, we finally sold the house to new owners. (We sold our cob house, Gobcobatron two years ago.)

We are, in a word, greatly relieved. (Oops, two words.) Why has it taken so long? Well, prospective buyers also need to be Dancing Rabbit members, so the pool of potential buyers is downright tiny. We thought we’d sell the house much sooner because the trend had been an increasingly larger population (and a shortage of homes), but that trend happened to reverse shortly after we left. Well, there was now way to foresee that one.

Nevertheless… the house is sold and I’m happy for the new owners. I love that house and I’m sure it will continue to be loved well into the future. Goodbye Strawtron!

Oct 11
Love1

Clay Plaster in Japan: Inspiring Video Documentary

By Video, Clay Plaster, Resources

I was excited to find this video documentary about Japanese clay plaster as it’s currently being practiced by sakan (a.k.a., traditional plasterers). From what I gather, clay plaster is a niche craft in Japan, but the tradition has been unbroken for hundreds and hundreds of years. It’s not practiced as widely as it once was, yet the quality of the work that is done is exceptional. It’s serious business, and absolutely beautiful and inspiring too.
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Oct 04
Love1

Homesteading Rules and Realities Part 2

By Natural Building Workshops, Homesteading, South Slope Farm

South Slope Farm rainbow

The number one rule of trying to maintain a homestead seems to be this: there’s always something else you could be doing. Even when there’s a lull, really, it’s just relative to the busier times… because it’s not that there’s nothing to do, it’s just that stuff won’t fall to bits if it doesn’t happen this second. Thankfully, April and I are getting better at not taking on too much at once, and having a toddler has certainly been helping us to hone that skill. We joke that we operate at 40% capacity with Hazel in tow. Well, it’s actually not a joke as much as it is the truth. Naturally, priorities are different now.

Where am I going with this? Well, in our second year on this land, the deeper realities of being a landowner/land steward/enter your preferred term here is definitely settling in. It’s a pendulum really. One moment I feel like there’s no way we can keep things up, and then the joy of even the smallest bit of progress washes my fears away… only to be repeated again and again.

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