Well, the first meeting was a very satisfying success! Eighteen of us pretty much maxed out the co-op's little community room. Depending on how things go, we may need to look for bigger digs—suggestions for possible other places included the Savings & Loan (big, windowless, basement affair), the Putney Library (big, new, timberframe place), and The Common Ground. In the meantime, we decided to show up at the co-op again on Sunday, April 3, at 4:00 p.m.—and you're invited! (That's daylight savings time day; don't forget to deal with the clocks the night before.)

It was a good group. Comfortable conversations started as soon as people started coming in. Some knew each other; others had the pleasure of meeting new and interesting characters. Some have already built—mostly various configurations of strawbale, cordwood, and post-and-beam, both on- and off-grid—while others are planning. A couple of the ones planning to build are also among those who have already built... coming back for seconds.

Those in attendance seemed primarily interested in getting and sharing information. (As things progress and the weather gets better, it's likely that hands-on activities will also develop.) Among a number of suggestions, "infill systems" was the topic that generated the most interest. A fairly broad topic that can include straw bales, cordwood, straw-clay, woodchip-clay, wattle-and-daub, adobe, cob, papercrete and its variants, cellulose insulation, expanding foams (including soy-based materials)... what am I forgetting?

SIPs—structural insulated panels—are sort-of-but-not-at-all-really related, and I'm hoping that a couple people who I know have some things to say about them will be there to say those things.

We'll be discussing it all at the next meeting—some people talking from experience, some talking from research, some asking questions, some listening real hard. It's all good.

While a few had to leave after an hour, others kept going for a while (and a small few for quite a while). We've reserved the room for more than two hours to keep things a bit open-ended for the next meeting, but feel free to leave when your schedule requires. There seemed to be a general consensus that an hour's just not enough. As we continue to meet, things like this may become better defined.

Sunday, April 3, Brattleboro Food Co-op, community room, 4:00 p.m.— see you there!

This part of the world has a disproportionate number of exceptional folks, and about 30 of them came to the second meeting of the Brattleboro Area Natural-building Group—a dozen more than the first. While it was kind of fun to cram so many people into the small community room at the co-op, a change of venue is clearly in order. The group agreed to have the next meeting at the Common Ground, 25 Elliot Street in downtown Brattleboro (above Everyone's Books), on May 8 at 4:00 p.m.; that's Mother's Day. The Common Ground is a worker-owned vegetarian restaurant / performance space with a colorful 30-year history. We'll pass a hat at the meeting; if you have a buck or two to thank the place, that will be great.

The meeting ran for a couple hours, principally covering strawbale and cordwood, and stemming into related issues including mass vs. insulation; the use and misuse of vapor barriers; some foundation options; how house size affects everything; the embodied energy of materials (natural and otherwise); considerations about heating and space conditioning; and others—in plain English. There seems to be at least four people very interested in co-housing and intentional communities, which may lead to a subgroup; it would be a good topic at some future meeting. Alternative septic systems also seem to want to be discussed at some point.

The next meeting is slated to introduce straw-clay (called leichthlem in the German tradition—literally, "light loam," which also includes woodchip-clay and sawdust-clay), as well as papercrete and its variants, and cellulose insulation. What we actually end up talking about remains to be seen.

Sunday, May 8, Common Ground, 25 Elliot Street in downtown Brattleboro (above Everyone's Books), 4:00 p.m.—see you there!

I need to find a group like yours a little closer to my home in Iowa.

Would you have any information I could use?

Thanks

Chances are good that you'll have to start the group. The response we've had here has been startling - but we've only had two meetings so far, and the possibility that over time things will peter out to a smaller hardcore group exists. Or it might just keep growing, I don't know. I spoke with somebody from the Ithaca group recently, and they've noticed over time that people come and go - but their numbers stay about the same.

There are no guidelines or how-to-start-a-natural-building-group books that I know about. There are some titles on Running A Successful Salon and like-that, but it probably isn't worth the bother. Just figure out the likely places where people like you might be found (book stores, co-ops, colleges, coffee shops, certain kinds of stores, etc), choose a date, make up some fliers, and post them. See who comes. Let everybody decide what to talk about, when to meet, what the group is for. It will grow and develop naturally... or may go dormant for a while, if that's what's appropriate.

I first got interested in this stuff while living in Minnesota about ten years ago, and I would have sworn I was the only one. I think if I'd have actively tried to find others, I would have been surprised. Seems like no matter where I go, there are fascinating people doing fabulous things quietly - it's just a matter of turning them up. (Easier to say than to do, perhaps, though you might be as delighted by how it really goes as I've been.)

I'm a vermont land owner, planning a green homebuilding project in 2006. I'm very interested in strawbale construction and soy-based insulation, and am looking for examples I can see in Vermont. Particularly strawbale. I'm located in the Rochester area. Also, is anyone familiar with sources for strawboard and for soy-based SIP's?
Thanks!