BOISE, ID Agriculture-related waste in Idaho doesn’t have to end up in the garbage. The construction of more sustainable dwellings can really benefit from it.
EarthCraft Buildinghomes in the Treasure Valley using bales of straw that have been gathered from the state’s wheat farming waste.
The company’s CEO, Jon Clark, stated that there is no scarcity of material, pointing out that 48 of Idaho’s 50 counties grow wheat.
Every year, farmers discard countless bales of straw, which they either till under, use as compost, or sell to others for use in bedding, stables, and other applications, Clark added. Although there isn’t much use for it, it is necessary to produce wheat.
According to Clark, constructing houses out of straw bales is not a novel idea. In fact, its history dates back 200 years. The requirement to ship in resources is also reduced by using agricultural waste from neighboring farms.
Additionally, he pointed out that using straw bales is a carbon-negative technique because they trap carbon. Clark said that there are benefits to using straw bale for construction as opposed to more conventional materials.
“It is fantastic, absolutely phenomenal in all the aspects that you would want it to be,” Clark said, referring to the high desert climate of the Treasure Valley. Thermal mass, cleanliness, fire resilience, and insulation capacity.
According to Clark, a lot of people want to conserve resources, and the first step in doing so is to reduce the trash that we already produce.
According to Clark, they are aware of that and prefer to support it. However, I believe they are unaware of how unsustainable our nation, culture, and people have become.
