2012 Report for the

Strawbale Studio  Sustainable Living Program     

     re-localize, re-skill, re-connect 

 In 2012 the Strawbale Studio provided education and training for many individuals & groups          

 through workshops, tours & activities, internships, exhibits, publicity & website outreach.  

Programs at the Strawbale Studio included workshops in thatching, earth plastering, strawbale wall system, timberframing & cob, natural arts, foraging for food and building materials, rocket stove & earth oven construction.  

New Activities in 2012 :

This year a very exciting 2 week Course (The natural Cottage Project) was held on the Strawbale Studio land ~ with 4 Instructors which built a new Retreat Cabin ~ timberframed, strawbale walls thatch roof and cob garden wall !  , Deanne went to Wisconsin to teach a 3 day class on thatching at Kinstone Circle.  She  coached their team in collecting and storing reed, and roof construction.  There is another team, Tara and Tyler, who are being coached as well....and Deanne will be doing a class to get them started on their thatching in Vermont.  They are learning to collect reed and design the roof this winter.   

The Strawbale Studio Work Exchange Program continued to provide room, board and skill training in exchange for student help on current projects and maintenance of the grounds. Most participants came from the WWOOF Program; Worldwide Workers on Organic Farms, and stayed from several weeks to several months.  The Strawbale Studio also does delightful exchanges & collaborations with the interns from Three Roods Farm in Columbiaville, MI.

The  new Internship Program was created in 2011 continued  to provide focused natural building & living education while producing income that supports and sustains the Strawbale Studio programming.  The first Internship Session took place from September 11 through November 11, 2011 and continued during a Winter Session (Jan 6 - Feb 6, 2012). 

Interns came during the summer and through the fall, mixed with Worktraders. 

Building Projects included the New Retreat Cabin, Phase 2 of the Living Roof on the Wood Shelter, the Rumford Fireplace construction and Outdoor Rocket Stove Cooker.  The Kids Cottage recieved a Rocket Stove Heated Bench Mass Heater this year.  There was a new root cellar (a buried sail board) buried in the ground, a rockwall and waterfall added behind the Strawbale Studio by Tom Hoyt, and the Greenhouse was maintained and used again for winter growing.  The gardens were assisted by Jared Bogdonov-Hanna, and numerous fruit trees and bushes were planted by intern with Jared's help.  A new rock wall seating area and waterfall were created by Tom Hoyt on the south side of the Strawbale Studio.  

Building Projects off site included phase 3 thatching of the Spiral Chamber, a small circular wattle & daub structure ~ a hands-on project during a Summer Solstice Gathering at Tall Trees Community Farm Summer in White Lake, MI and  continuing earthen plaster & sculpting retrofit on herbalist Jim McDonalds’ classroom. Thatching in Wisconsin is explained above. Deanne joined with natural builder Christina Ott from Tennessee to do earth plaster and sculpting retrofit on the McClellan home in Ohio. Then went on to attend the Natural Building Gathering in Buffalo, NY> 

Education off site:  The SBS and interns took part in many exhibits and Fairs, including the Bioneers Detroit, and the Michigan Green Living Festival,  Huron Valley Earth Day Gathering, Tall Tree Farm Summer Solstice Gathering, and Yule Love it Lavendar Farm.  

 
Community Outreach & Tours.  Every month the SBS hosts a Full Moon Potluck and Bonfire for neighbors, friends and anyone wishing to come.  Tours are given at these events as well as individual and group tours throughout the year. The website was updated regularly and publicity posts are sent to a listserve of 1500 people.  A number of natural builders & experts visited and assisted at the Strawbale Studio: Ernie & Erica Wisner of California visited on their way across the country, and the Strawbale Studio hosted 2 workshops by them on Rocket Stove Construction...in Detroit and on the land here.  A Rennaisance Concert was again hosted by the Strawbale Studio. Organized by Lois Robbins this Rennaisance Evening of music and refreshments was part of an annual a fund-raising auction item for the North Oakland Headwaters Land Conservancy.  

The Hoyt family: help in so many ways.  

Consultation occurs on a regular basis as individuals ask questions about their potential or upcoming projects. Support is being given to 2 thatching projects off site.  

Collaborations: The most outstanding collaboration was the Natural Cottage Project - a 2 week course with 4 instructors.  There were also collaborations with with Three Roods Farm, Tall Trees Community Farm,  Jim McDonald of herbcraft.org, Jared Bogdonov-Hanna of Abundant Succession Farm, and the Detroit Green Map Project.    

Field Trips were taken by the SBS interns to local projects:  Interns & Deanne visited the Green Garage, a zero-energy retrofitted historic building in Detroit, and also visited numerous local Farms: Pine Meadow CSA, Three Roods Farm, Jared Bogdonov-Hannas Permculture Garden, The Hoyt farm with goats, Dave and Dorinda's Farm down the road, and the Upland Hills Ecological Awareness Center.  This year there was a robust Permaculture Oakland Co. Meetup which we all attended regularly. 

Permaculture Gardening: The garden beds are being developed to include a wide range of cultivated and wild plants and a crop rotation system with design assistance from Jared Bogdonov-Hanna.  New Paw Paw trees were planted, along with gooseberry, more back current and an elderberry bush.  

The greenhouse is continuing to be used all winter to provide greens without any additional heat.  Several foraging and plant identification classes have been held to share information on local food sources.  

Details on programs are on the Strawbale Studio website: www.strawbale.pbworks.com/Calendar

For any further questions, please feel free to contact me.  

Sincerely,

Deanne Bednar

Coordinator, Strawbale Studio Natural Building & Sustainable Skills Program

PO Box 733, Oxford, MI 48371

248 628 1887       ecoartdb@gmail.com     www.StrawbaleStudio.org