Walls are completed and compression begins

After a significant push by students and all involved in the project, plus a kind spell of good weather we have managed to bring the project back on programme. That being with the walls completed and under compression for the half term break. We even had students assisting the farmer to restring some bales on his farm as a significant number of the original bales were deemed unsuitable due to them getting wet. Again student accuracy amazed me again with the top ring beam being exactly square and exactly plumb over the bottom beam on all four sides. This is with a level of tolerance within 5 mm. Considering we have been using a building product as natural in size and shape as a straw bale. these pictures show the top beam in place and being staked down to the bales below. The next stage is to allign all of the bales with the beams and compree the straw over a period of a week or two. This will then be ready to install the roof.

The walls are growing...

Good progress is being made inbetween the showers. A few bales have got wet and have had to be discarded and some replacements will be made up as quickly as possible. Nick and the students aim to get the upper ring beam in place and ratcheted down before the half term break - which starts in five days time...

Earlier this week Occombe hosted a visit by 20 farm shop operators from across the country who were attending a workshop organised by FARMA (the Farm Retail and Markets Association). The workshop was for people to find out how Occombe Farm won Best Newcomer of the Year 2008 in the annual FARMA Awards. There was great interest in the straw bale building and Nick gave a tour for the group. One delegate has gone away vowing to build the first straw bale farm shop in the country!