SB: 2 year old straw

[Jo Wilhelm <home_place@juno.com>]

 Well, at last we are ready for bales and you know all those bales that
we
> > bought two years ago and stacked under a tarp have, well, composted. 
(We
> > were naive and way too optimistic about the build time)
>

  I also was too optimistic two years ago and baled the straw for my
house.  The
> bales sat two years in an open sided pole barn with a leaky roof.  They
endured........In spite of all this, when we raised the bales this
weekend, we discarded VERY few bales.  In fact, more
were set aside for broken strings than for any damage to the straw.  Rice
straw is good stuff!


Yes, rice IS good straw, but the difference between these two piles of
bales is that one was insdie a building and the other was tarped. If you
must store bales, please search the archives for the ways to do it. Under
a solid roof is by far the best way. Covering with tarps etc requires
building a tent fram so that coverings are OVER and AROUND but not
touching the bales! Lots of good directions in the archives.

Our guest house is built out of oat straw bales that were stored for two
years in a building and were as bright and nice as new. 

Jo Wilhelm 
home_place@juno.com   830/868-7077 www.the-home-place.com
Tours, workshops, seminars and speakers are all available from THE HOME
PLACE-
A sustainable living demonstration center in the hill country of central
Texas.

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