permaculture

[Bruce Brummitt <lilacmn@eot.com>]

You wrote:
----------
From: YankeePerm@aol.com

...  Heated cold climate structures invite rodents.  Straw bales invite
rodents.  The combination is a compelling invitation to rodents.  Strawbale
construction sometimes uses bales as bearing walls.  It would be difficult
to
replace infested sections.  This would be less difficult where post and beam
construction and strawbale infilling are used, but still one does not look
forward to routinely replacing walls...
 ...I cannot imagine a straw bale bearing wall that will not be compressed
beyond acceptable limits by a heavy snow load of say two feet turned to
solid
ice by spring ice storms. Anyone who has live in a genuine winter climate
long enough has experienced this.  Of course there are perfectly sound ways
to build with straw bale, as merely a weather barrier and not as load
bearing, that avoids this problem...  

Again, if people have proven solutions to my concerns, lets hear them.  As a
designer, I can only recommend what I know works and I have no business
recommending anything that is a question, even a small question, in my mind.

For Mother Earth, Dan Hemenway, Yankee Permaculture Publications
*******
Some of what you wrote, you wrote out of ignorance.  There is much available
information that you can access as to the concerns you voiced.

I have seen log end structures that were built around here that have rotten
log ends that is permeating throughout the walls.  I have remodeled
"traditional" stick frame buildings that were insulated with fiberglass
batts, that no longer contained batts, but just little fiberglass mice nests
down at the bottom plate.
I've "jacked up" log cabins and replaced the bottom 3 or 4 courses of logs
with stone foundations.

Cheryl's studio is available by appointment to be seen and touched.  It will
last at least a lifetime, I'm certain, as will a log end  or a stick frame
structure built with attention to detail.

As to whether utilising straw as a building material is appropriate as a
form of permaculture...from a purist viewpoint, probably no.  As to whether
using straw in the northwoods because it doesn't normally grow there,
well...purists may say no.  There are plants that I encourage to grow here,
that aren't indigenous...and yet I use them as food.  I'm not certain that I
could sustain myself in the manner I wish, otherwise.  I do make use of wild
rice, native herbs and plants, deer, grouse, etc., but I supplement my diet
with my garden.

Our home is earth-sheltered and built from logs and stones gleaned from this
land.  I much prefer this place as a home.  As a teaching tool, Cheryl's
studio has great value.  The straw that was used is grown near here.  All of
our buildings use photovoltaics for electricity, another non-native.  I read
books that were written in English and in Spanish...both not indigenous to
these northwoods.

Out of curiosity...where do people on this list walk on this permaculture
path?
I'd like to hear what other folks build their buildings from, how they heat
and light them, what they eat, etc...

Learning, always learning,

Bruce

Bruce Brummitt and Cheryl Valois
<lilacmn@eot.com>
"With Liberty and Justice...for All"