www.StrawBaleWorkshops.com
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Below are some descriptions of the sites and the projects in the host's own words.
Ottawa, Ontario Canada - September 2010
I've been wanting to teach in Canada for a long time now and I have heard from many of you that you want me to teach there as well. I'm really excited to finally be able to say I'm coming to Canada to teach! I'll be in Ottawa in September working on my friend Harry's property. Harry came to the New Mexico workshop last year and has decided to host his own now. Here's what he has to say about his very cool and unique project. (I'll get some pictures of his place posted soon by the way)
We are building a straw-bale house and shop with attached office on 25 acres in the Ottawa area. The property is
made up of coniferous trees, wetlands, Canadian Shield and field. We are excited about this building project. The house is about 1400 square feet, slab on grade single storey with a loft. The structure is post and beam with straw bale infill. It has large windows on the south side and will have a porch around the remaining three sides. The shop will also be a straw bale in fill post and beam building with a twelve foot ceiling, and is 1300 square feet. The footings are in for the shop and I expect that the two buildings will go up fairly simultaneously although, in a pinch I am sure Harry will ensure that the shop will be first (priorities you know!). The goal is to do the straw bale for the house during the course.
We have all the post and beam cut for the house and the shop.
We harvested the trees from our lot and the surrounding 200 acres of which we have the logging rights. The trees were cut down by Harry and Shane (our son) and pulled out by horse; although in the name of expediency a large tractor was also often used (the tractor was found to be in many ways man’s best friend—horse logging is definitely over romanticized). However, that is not to say that Harry will not do a horse logging demonstration with Daisy. The trees were then milled by Harry on the property using our own Hudson band-saw mill, and I am sure he will give you a demonstration with the mill when you are here for the course.
There is plenty of room on the property to pitch a tent and the weather will be good for campfires in the evening. We are hoping to have the shop enclosed enough that people can set up small tents in there if it is chilly in the evening. The floor of both buildings will be heated via water that comes from a water wood stove. An outhouse, and showers will be available on the grounds.
Ottawa is a beautiful area. It is the capitol of Canada, located in Ontario on the Quebec border. The greater Ottawa area has a population of 900,000 people. There are many museums, farmer’s markets, 
great biking paths, tours of the parliament buildings and the national art gallery, all within a half hour drive of the site. Just over the river (as we say), on the Quebec side, Gatineau Park has many beautiful hiking trails as wel
l as small lakes and caves. There are a few English pubs within a few kilometres of the site.
Sounds like a great place to hold a workshop! I'm really excited for this one. If nothing else, I finally get to meet Harry's horse Daisy of whom he speaks very highly. Harry and his wife are wonderful people and a lot of fun to be around. In fact, Harry has some of the sunniest, yet true, stories I have ever heard. Be sure to ask him about transporting his pigs when you join us for this great week of learning and fun. To sign up for this or any other workshop, please click here.
I've been wanting to teach in Canada for a long time now and I have heard from many of you that you want me to teach there as well. I'm really excited to finally be able to say I'm coming to Canada to teach! I'll be in Ottawa in September working on my friend Harry's property. Harry came to the New Mexico workshop last year and has decided to host his own now. Here's what he has to say about his very cool and unique project. (I'll get some pictures of his place posted soon by the way)We are building a straw-bale house and shop with attached office on 25 acres in the Ottawa area. The property is
made up of coniferous trees, wetlands, Canadian Shield and field. We are excited about this building project. The house is about 1400 square feet, slab on grade single storey with a loft. The structure is post and beam with straw bale infill. It has large windows on the south side and will have a porch around the remaining three sides. The shop will also be a straw bale in fill post and beam building with a twelve foot ceiling, and is 1300 square feet. The footings are in for the shop and I expect that the two buildings will go up fairly simultaneously although, in a pinch I am sure Harry will ensure that the shop will be first (priorities you know!). The goal is to do the straw bale for the house during the course. We have all the post and beam cut for the house and the shop.
We harvested the trees from our lot and the surrounding 200 acres of which we have the logging rights. The trees were cut down by Harry and Shane (our son) and pulled out by horse; although in the name of expediency a large tractor was also often used (the tractor was found to be in many ways man’s best friend—horse logging is definitely over romanticized). However, that is not to say that Harry will not do a horse logging demonstration with Daisy. The trees were then milled by Harry on the property using our own Hudson band-saw mill, and I am sure he will give you a demonstration with the mill when you are here for the course.There is plenty of room on the property to pitch a tent and the weather will be good for campfires in the evening. We are hoping to have the shop enclosed enough that people can set up small tents in there if it is chilly in the evening. The floor of both buildings will be heated via water that comes from a water wood stove. An outhouse, and showers will be available on the grounds.
great biking paths, tours of the parliament buildings and the national art gallery, all within a half hour drive of the site. Just over the river (as we say), on the Quebec side, Gatineau Park has many beautiful hiking trails as well as small lakes and caves. There are a few English pubs within a few kilometres of the site. Sounds like a great place to hold a workshop! I'm really excited for this one. If nothing else, I finally get to meet Harry's horse Daisy of whom he speaks very highly. Harry and his wife are wonderful people and a lot of fun to be around. In fact, Harry has some of the sunniest, yet true, stories I have ever heard. Be sure to ask him about transporting his pigs when you join us for this great week of learning and fun. To sign up for this or any other workshop, please click here.
Junction City, California - September 2010
Last year I taught a workshop in Willow Creek, California. It was a great success and a beautiful part of the world to spend a week. I'll now be teaching just an hour East of Willow Creek in Junction City, California. This small town is just a short step outside of Weaverville and right on the doorstep of the Trinity National Forest.
Here's an interesting tidbit about Junction City: there's a business in town called the Straw House Coffee House and, yes, it is a straw bale structure. It sits right off of highway 299 and is worth a visit, especially if you like premium roasted organic coffee! I encourage you all to check it out on your way to and from the workshop.
Here's a little detail about the structure we'll be building from the host and the history of how we got to this place of offering a workshop on their property.
I have wanted a straw bale house for 30 years now. I carried the design in my head for many years and then started to draw it out periodically on random scraps of paper until it became what it is today. I worked with Chris Keefe of Organicforms Design to take my vision from my brain and make it a working drawing reality. In my mind I can see the views out of every window. I can walk through the house and see the placement of the furniture. What's more, I know with all of the hands that will go into building the house that it will be full of good energy and that energy will last a long time, keeping me warm and comfortable in my old age!
The house is a simple ranch style house single story, and is small by today's standards at 1152 square feet interior space; however, it's just right for a couple of aging hippies. The home is designed with two bedrooms and one bath with plans for an outdoor shower someday. The kitchen is small but efficient with room to cook. This is really important because we love to cook and we love to feed people even more. Don't know what else I can say about it except that it's a simple place for simple people and that it's a dream come true.
I hope that students from all over will join us for the workshop. I taught for 8 years at the Blue Ox Community School which is an alternative education program for junior high and high school students offered through the county office of education. We taught hands-on skills like wood turning, black smithing, ceramics, cooking in a cob oven and on a wood cook stove and even printed our own year books on a one hundred year old printing press where we had to set our type letter by letter. I am starting to ramble, but the point is: I love the idea of continuing the hands-on education on my own home and hope that many students will reap the benefits of the all that you teach at the workshop.
Our place is in Junction City which has a booming population of 60 and is 8 miles West of the historical Trinity County Seat, Weaverville. There aren't many people in the whole of trinity county, only 14,000 at the last census, but the history is rich. A mining area popular after the big gold rush of California 49er fame, the old part of Weaverville is full of Victorian buildings, a Chinese temple, and some great museums.
Many years ago, Junction City was the home of Chinese farmers and miners, opium dens and a huge hydraulic mining operation. Today it has a Buddhist Gompa that offers meditation on Sunday evenings for anyone who's interested, a store, post office, gas station and a cafe.
The area is known for its beautiful hiking trails throughout the Trinity Alps one of the most popular ones, Canyon Creek, is close to us. It's a great overnighter and also a beautiful day hike for anyone interested in staying on a bit to explore the area. The Trinity River offers excellent fishing and is only about 1/4 mile from us which makes it close enough to hear at night. A short drive takes you to a river access point. There is also excellent rafting on the river and a great float up river from us can end at our neighbor's place (he has river access and is very generous with it).
We have two 2.5 acre parcels that are side by side and we have been working on clearing it now for seven years. The wild grape keeps battling us, but in some places the trees are free. We have Pine, Douglas Fir, Oregon Ash, Madrone, Black Locust, White Oak, Red Oak, Scrub Oak, and Live Oak. There are lots of shady, flat areas for people to camp; however, I must note that there is poison oak in the area so please be careful choosing your spot!
The views are incredible from the building site with clear sights of the mountains that surround this river valley. This time of the year, September that is, is great in the mountains. The days are cooler, not so cold nights, less mosquitoes and sometimes the western Maples will start to turn. Oct 2 is the big "Autumn in the Alps Quilt Show and they hang hundreds, literally, of quilts from all places that a quilt can hang all over the town. When the sun goes down, the "Art Cruise Night" gets started.
Finally, for those looking to take in some of the region's beauty during the trip, we are only 85 miles East of the Humboldt County Coast with all of the beautiful redwood trees, rugged beaches and great towns like Arcata, Eureka and the Victorian village of Ferndale. These areas are a short and beautiful drive away and worth visiting if you have never seen them before. The Redwoods are like nothing you've ever seen!
A quick note to get you even more excited about this workshop: the host tells me that her children brag about her cooking to the highest levels! The food at my workshops is always good as the hosts tend to take really good care of the folks helping to build their dream. By the sound of it, this could raise the bar even higher! Like I said at the top of this description, this area is beautiful. With so few people living in the county, the natural beauty is truly the main feature of this land. I look forward to returning there this September and I hope you can join me there. Here's the link to sign up today.
Last year I taught a workshop in Willow Creek, California. It was a great success and a beautiful part of the world to spend a week. I'll now be teaching just an hour East of Willow Creek in Junction City, California. This small town is just a short step outside of Weaverville and right on the doorstep of the Trinity National Forest.Here's an interesting tidbit about Junction City: there's a business in town called the Straw House Coffee House and, yes, it is a straw bale structure. It sits right off of highway 299 and is worth a visit, especially if you like premium roasted organic coffee! I encourage you all to check it out on your way to and from the workshop.
Here's a little detail about the structure we'll be building from the host and the history of how we got to this place of offering a workshop on their property.
I have wanted a straw bale house for 30 years now. I carried the design in my head for many years and then started to draw it out periodically on random scraps of paper until it became what it is today. I worked with Chris Keefe of Organicforms Design to take my vision from my brain and make it a working drawing reality. In my mind I can see the views out of every window. I can walk through the house and see the placement of the furniture. What's more, I know with all of the hands that will go into building the house that it will be full of good energy and that energy will last a long time, keeping me warm and comfortable in my old age!
The house is a simple ranch style house single story, and is small by today's standards at 1152 square feet interior space; however, it's just right for a couple of aging hippies. The home is designed with two bedrooms and one bath with plans for an outdoor shower someday. The kitchen is small but efficient with room to cook. This is really important because we love to cook and we love to feed people even more. Don't know what else I can say about it except that it's a simple place for simple people and that it's a dream come true.
I hope that students from all over will join us for the workshop. I taught for 8 years at the Blue Ox Community School which is an alternative education program for junior high and high school students offered through the county office of education. We taught hands-on skills like wood turning, black smithing, ceramics, cooking in a cob oven and on a wood cook stove and even printed our own year books on a one hundred year old printing press where we had to set our type letter by letter. I am starting to ramble, but the point is: I love the idea of continuing the hands-on education on my own home and hope that many students will reap the benefits of the all that you teach at the workshop.
Our place is in Junction City which has a booming population of 60 and is 8 miles West of the historical Trinity County Seat, Weaverville. There aren't many people in the whole of trinity county, only 14,000 at the last census, but the history is rich. A mining area popular after the big gold rush of California 49er fame, the old part of Weaverville is full of Victorian buildings, a Chinese temple, and some great museums.
Many years ago, Junction City was the home of Chinese farmers and miners, opium dens and a huge hydraulic mining operation. Today it has a Buddhist Gompa that offers meditation on Sunday evenings for anyone who's interested, a store, post office, gas station and a cafe.
The area is known for its beautiful hiking trails throughout the Trinity Alps one of the most popular ones, Canyon Creek, is close to us. It's a great overnighter and also a beautiful day hike for anyone interested in staying on a bit to explore the area. The Trinity River offers excellent fishing and is only about 1/4 mile from us which makes it close enough to hear at night. A short drive takes you to a river access point. There is also excellent rafting on the river and a great float up river from us can end at our neighbor's place (he has river access and is very generous with it).
We have two 2.5 acre parcels that are side by side and we have been working on clearing it now for seven years. The wild grape keeps battling us, but in some places the trees are free. We have Pine, Douglas Fir, Oregon Ash, Madrone, Black Locust, White Oak, Red Oak, Scrub Oak, and Live Oak. There are lots of shady, flat areas for people to camp; however, I must note that there is poison oak in the area so please be careful choosing your spot!
The views are incredible from the building site with clear sights of the mountains that surround this river valley. This time of the year, September that is, is great in the mountains. The days are cooler, not so cold nights, less mosquitoes and sometimes the western Maples will start to turn. Oct 2 is the big "Autumn in the Alps Quilt Show and they hang hundreds, literally, of quilts from all places that a quilt can hang all over the town. When the sun goes down, the "Art Cruise Night" gets started.
Finally, for those looking to take in some of the region's beauty during the trip, we are only 85 miles East of the Humboldt County Coast with all of the beautiful redwood trees, rugged beaches and great towns like Arcata, Eureka and the Victorian village of Ferndale. These areas are a short and beautiful drive away and worth visiting if you have never seen them before. The Redwoods are like nothing you've ever seen!
A quick note to get you even more excited about this workshop: the host tells me that her children brag about her cooking to the highest levels! The food at my workshops is always good as the hosts tend to take really good care of the folks helping to build their dream. By the sound of it, this could raise the bar even higher! Like I said at the top of this description, this area is beautiful. With so few people living in the county, the natural beauty is truly the main feature of this land. I look forward to returning there this September and I hope you can join me there. Here's the link to sign up today.
