Cob building with Maya
  • • What is cob?
  • ALL PROJECTS SUMMARY
  • Spring 2022
  • NEWEST IDEA F/650 SQ.' HOUSE. NOV.2021
  • • Pandemic project phase 1: Earthen oven
  • Pandemic Project phase 2 & 3: Bench & Roof
  • Pandemic Project Phase 4: Pajareque wall
  • Pandemic Project Phase 5: Solarium
  • Pandemic Project Phase 6: January 2021
  • Pandemic Project Phase 7: Rocket Stove
  • Pandemic Project Phase 8: Cob/adobe floor
  • Pandemic Project Phase 8 : Plastering
  • Pandemic Project: November 2021 SOLARIUM MOSTLY DONE
  • • Cob wall: first project
  • • I. "ATV Shed": Rural building SITE & DESIGN
  • II. "ATV Shed": STONE PIERS & COB LIZARD BENCH
  • III. "ATV Shed": SUMMER 2012 STONE FOUNDATION STEM WALL
  • IV. "ATV Shed" spring 2013 STONE COMPLETE
  • V. "ATV Shed" SUMMER 2013 WINDOW PREP/COB WALLS BEGIN
  • VI. "ATV Shed" Fall 2013
  • VII. "ATV Shed" SUMMER 2014 SETTINNG WINDOW FRAMES
  • VIII. "ATV Shed" Summer 2015 FAMILY HELP
  • IX. "ATV Shed" Fall 2015 GOT ROOF
  • X. "ATV Shed" Spring 2016
  • XI. "ATV Shed" Summer 2016 PORCH TIMBER WORK
  • XII. "ATV Shed" Fall/winter 2016 STUCCO TESTS
  • XIII. "ATV Shed" Spring 2017 FINISHING COB WALLS
  • XIV. "ATV Shed": Summer 2017
  • XV. WALLS DONE! "ATV Shed" PORCH ROOFING f17
  • XVI. "ATV Shed" Winter 2018
  • XVII. "ATV Shed" SUMMER 2018 EXTERIOR COMPLETE W/STUCCO
  • XVIII. "ATV Shed" SU18 INTERIOR WORK
  • XIX. Late summer STUCCO DETAILS
  • XX. "ATV Shed" NORTH WALL INSULATION
  • XXI. "ATV Shed" fall 2018 CEILING INSULATION
  • XXII. "ATV Shed" 2020 Where it's at now
  • XXIII. "ATV Shed" 2021
  • • Cob Chicken Coop
  • • CSU-Pueblo Bench Spring 2019
  • • Mud Mural Workshop WITH KIKO DENZER
  • • Cob Mailbox
  • • Cob Oven at Pueblo Music House
  • • Rough Timber Frame Shed
  • • Cob bench workshop WITH ANNE FROBEEN
  • • Horticulture
  • • Mountain Park Environmental Center Fire Circle Benches
  • • Xeriscape garden
  • • Ecohouse model
  • • Natural Building on show
  • • Nature, art, fun and other photos
  • Info about Maya

Back to Horticulture

Toby Hemingway spoke at COSBA about the five cultures mankind has lived through: 1. Hunter/gatherer 2. Horticulture 3. Agriculture 4. Industrial and 5. Post-Industrial.
With agriculture came two huge changes: hierarchy and overpopulation.
Because of the excess, hierarchy developed to "manage" the excess (ie. ruling wealthy classes). I know archeological digs also know immediately if a culture was agrarian because of their poor health (too many carbs!). Women could also give babies grain year round so they frequently weaned their babies sooner. Because nursing is a natural form of birth control for some women, women had more babies and populations exploded.
So the theory is we need to return to horticulture. I know permaculture also speaks of developing wise integrated systems, but because of the cost of permaculture workshops I have not pursued it in depth.

Though I had no experience with livestock, I have been working to produce some more of my own food via gardens, goats and chickens. It's wonderful to share my life and land with other critters.
I said I wanted goats and chickens and prepared for them, re-roofing the barn w/recycled tin, and everyone asked what kind of chickens I was going to get. I didn't know...and wasn't inclined to do in-depth research. I've basically learned OJT along with some web research. The critters are doing very well.

Chickens

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The coop stays about 20˚ above outside night temperatures, plenty cozy f/the chickens. They molted and didn't lay for nearly two months as the days got shorter. I put an infrared lamp in the coop with a timer so it's on a few hours early morning and evening too. They're laying nicely now, 2-3 extra large eggs a day.
The eggs have a natural anti-bacterial coating so it's recommended not to wash them until you use them. The black and white chickens ("Barred Rock" w/ "bars of b&w; from Plymouth Rock) lay the plain brown eggs and the plain colored chickens lay the beautiful aqua ones. All are delicious!

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Goats

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I was given five goats by some people whose house was struck by lightning. This is Janet when I got her and Janet now. A big belly means a healthy goat as they are "ruminating", ie. digesting well in their numerous stomachs.

I learned digesting hay keeps them warm at night, so along with morning goat feed and hay, when not teaching, they also get mid-day hay, and hay between 9 and 11 p.m.  Great goat website: http://fiascofarm.com/

Casper

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Newborn Casper., b 10/21/11
Little Windy, Casper's mom, was young and pregnant when she was given to me. I wasn't expecting the birth so soon and didn't have her birthing pen completely done. I arrived home one day with two bales of hay only to find a pile of slimy newborn in the dirty poopy goat yard. Windy rejected her.
I separated them from the other goats, forcing Windy to bond with the baby. Then, I wrestled goats for the next two days, cleaning clogged nipples, forcing her to let baby suckle, finishing their pen including semi-insulated cubby, making sweater f/baby (it dipped to single digits when the baby was less than a week old), putting warm water on mama's udder to make milk flow, sealing them up in warm cubby at night....

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Two months old, sweet baby Casper. Windy's udder seems really small...I think she may have already weaned Casper.
So much for milk...
I have yet to build milking station, but this will come in time. I'm hoping for a resident goat herder and gardener so I can concentrate on my natural building this summer. Interested?

Growing food

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I'm not a natural green thumb, but am blessed with a half share of irrigation water and a site that used to be a horse corral so it is nitrogen rich. After reading about the ecosystems in soil, I did not want to till, so rather did a "lasagna garden" of sorts. Instead of layering, though, I mixed peat moss, compost, manure, topsoil and some charcoal which was put on top of wet cardboard. First season, almost no weeds!
I get good tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and cukes. I want a little bean field, asparagus, and beets....better do ph test next year...
This is an heirloom tomato. One slice per sandwich!





Nothing like home-grown food! I froze a lot of peppers and tomatoes f/winter.

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