[Bioconversion] Switchgrass bale house

[Roger Samson]

Jeff

There are lots of books on straw bale building and design if you do a net
search. You can also buy designs from architects. Here in Quebec there has
been a pretty strong movement in ecological home design with straw bale.
There is even a conference centre made of straw bale. Different parts of the
country experience different problems when straw bale building because of
humidity issues in households, so visits houses in your bioregion.  

The major advantage of switchgrass that has been identified here in Quebec
is that it is more inert as a building material than wheat straw. There is
less cracking of plaster and less potential for insects and rodents. One of
the farmers who started with switchgrass with us was the first to develop
this as a commercial market. Switchgrass has a low N and nutrient content so
it is less prone to decomposition and has greater structural strength than
wheat straw. He gets $250/tonne for his small bales as it is considered a
premium feedstock.  The first switchgrass bale home was on a native
reserve...so native grasses for native housing. 

Roger



-----Original Message-----
From: bioconversion-bounces at listserv.repp.org
[mailto:bioconversion-bounces at listserv.repp.org] On Behalf Of Jeff Davis
Sent: Tuesday, March 07, 2006 1:38 AM
To: bioconversion at listserv.repp.org
Subject: [Bioconversion] Switchgrass bale house

Dear List,

I have an interest in a switchgrass bale house. The grass seems vary strong,

like it would make a good bullet proof vest. Does anybody know of good plans

for a bale house or web page. Any idea about resale of a bale house. Maybe 
Roger S. may have some advice.


-- 
Jeff Davis
Somewhere 20 miles south of Lake Erie, USA
http://www.velocity.net/~jeff0124
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