GreenDigs Blog

According to Wikipedia

Straw-bale construction is a building method that uses straw bales as structural elements, insulation, or both. It is commonly used in natural building. It has advantages over some conventional building systems because of its cost and easy availability, and its high insulation value.

SDSU in Brookings is adding a 900 s.f. strawbale meeting room to McCrory Gardens.  Faculty have organized the building effort into a workshop available to students for credit and anyone else interested in the unique experience May 12-29 (space is limited).  If you’re interested in this ‘grassroots’  construction project – contact Dean Isham dean.isham@sdstate.edu .  Stay tuned for updates as progress continues. 

For more on the nuts and bolts of strawbale, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw-bale_construction#Methodology or the Straw Bale Home Construction site at http://www.epsea.org/straw.html - it’s true indigenous midwest architecture.

September 25-26, 2008 will mark the inaugural sustainability conference for the region, with a focus on providing education and advocacy for sustainable efforts in the upper Midwest.

This first conference will bring together building professionals, government officials, students, and the general public to learn about anddiscuss varied issues affecting our environment.  Speakers from five states, tours and other events will encourage new viewpoints and reveal new opportunities to make positive change.

Wednesday, September 24 – we’re arranging an official US Green Building Council Technical Review for LEED for New Construction and Major Renovations:  This will be an all-day workshop held at the Museum of Visual Materials www.sfmvm.com limited to 80 participants.  Earlybird cost is $375 (registration isn’t open yet) for USGBC members http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1716.

Thursday, September 25 will focus on buildings and building technologies (mostly) with the opening keynote by Matthew Moore, an agricultural artist from Phoenix, AZ.  Check him out at www.urbanplough.com .  The day will end with a great party at Cherapa Place, a new green Class A office in downtown Sioux Falls.

Friday, September 26 will focus on energy policies and technologies.  We’re working on an opening keynote with Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin who is on the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming http://globalwarming.house.gov (pretty rad link from Ms. Sandlin’s web page).

Soon, oh so soon, the www.plaingreen.org website will be up and running and soon after that registration will open for this green event – limited to 300 at $50 for the 2-day conference.  What a green bargain!!