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SUSTAINABLE FARM, SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION
by John Ellis, Libby Creek Farm, CSA (Certified Sustainable Organic Agriculture), York, Nebraska As a member of the Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society and the Organic Crop Improvement Association, I farm a 70-acre farm growing a diversity of crops - grains, alfalfa, vegetables, fruits, flowers, and herbs. We sell our products including straw from small grains into direct markets. One day I took two bales and a plywood board to a farmers' market for use as a display table. People began coming to our booth asking about straw bale construction. At the same time, other customers expressed interest in buying products at a farm location and wondered if we had a farm store. The opportunity soon arose to take ownership of an obsolete building (corn crib) from a nearby farm, and I decided to retrofit this building with bales to create a year-round store at our farm. After some initial research and with help from Joyce Coppinger of ReBuild Associates, we set to work converting this building. When the preparatory work was completed - footings and foundation, wide-eaved corrugated metal roof, structural framing and installation of windows and doors, we held a workshop at the end of July (and another workshop in mid-October) - the first a hands-on experience in bale wall construction, the second teaching stucco preparation and finish work. These hands-on experiences gave people an opportunity to see the actual steps involved in straw bale construction, and become involved in the process and various steps required. Many seem to learn a great deal not only about construction but also about design concepts and various techniques. They seem to learn about their own abilities and gain interest or become more confident about building their own projects, too. Our building allows people to see the point of origin for their foods while visiting an energy-efficient, farm-grown, straw-insulated, recycled farm building. We can now say we offer sustainable farm products through a farm market building constructed using sustainable building practices. IS THIS THE END? IS THERE CONTACT INFO? |