Raising bale: Building a straw think tank

Thirty years ago, out on the Carrizo Plain just east of San Luis Obispo in central California, 30 or so natural-building enthusiasts met at a deserted motel to explore the formation of a California natural building group.  This initial gathering was a byproduct of the Natural Building Colloquium-Southwest, a touch of serendipity, and a few too many in-flight cocktails shared between three California builders.  It was 1995. Turko Semmes and Greg McMillan, builders from the San Luis Obispo area, had just wrapped up an inspiring week at the colloquium held in the small town of Kingston, New Mexico. They felt like they had found their tribe––people from all corners of the world interested in straw, earth and bamboo building materials, alternative energy technology and natural building systems.  How could they share this with people in California, they wondered? This is the story of the start of the California Straw Building Association (CASBA), how they sparked a statewide straw bale building movement, impacted natural building at the national level, and built a support network along the way. Now, the founding members are passing the torch to the next generation to uphold the values of the straw bale community while also addressing the needs of today.