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Wednesday, May 15, 2013, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm (Note return to our regular time)
House + Earth, 1214 West 6th Street, Austin, Texas, Suite 120, 78703 (map) (Note slightly different address. H+E has moved to the eastern side of the retail center. Turn right one driveway sooner than previously – At the big Julian Gold sign.)
Guest presenters: Daniel Baugh and Matthew Baugh, Urban Sawyers
 Did one of your big trees come down in your front yard in the last windstorm? Did the drought kill trees on your country property? These trees can be given a new life in a new form.
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Our guest presenters will explain how his portable saw mill will spare felled trees from central Texas landfills and deliver unique and responsible wood alternatives for generations to come. 
DBL is a volunteer-run educational organization providing valuable information, and optional donations at the door are always appreciated. No RSVP required. For more details, email us via “Contact Us” or call Scott Clay at 512-689-1149.
  A 2-Day Design~Build~Live Workshop
Saturday May 18th & 25th, 8:30 am – 4:00 pm
Location: East Central Austin, Zilker Neighborhood
Fee: $125 for non-members, $100 for DBL members; Limited enrollment
Experience Level: Beginner to Advanced
During this 2-day hands-on workshop, instructor Dani Slabaugh will introduce you to the various steps of BUILDING A FERROCEMENT THAI RAIN JAR, a gorgeous rainwater cistern that you’ll WANT in your front yard. Ferrocement is a low tech, DIY-friendly, very inert medium for cisterns that keeps the water of the highest quality. Dani Slabaugh, a local cistern builder, will take us through her process step by step, and share the techniques used to build a shapely 850 gallon cistern from the ground-up, by creating the foundation, mixing the plaster, and topping the jar with a mosquito proof cover.
You will be asked to log into your account or, if you have not already done so, create an account. Select “Current Events” from the drop-down menu on the right.
If you are not yet a member, JOIN DBL HERE to receive the discounted workshop price. A healthy vegetarian lunch, water, tea and snacks are included with the workshop. Contact info@designbuildlive.org for general workshop questions and information regarding work-trade opportunities. Enrollment is limited.
 The spring 2013 crop of wheat and barley straw bales is starting to come in.
We just got word from Ken Richter, our bale friend near Taylor, Texas (less than an hour north of Austin) that straw will start being baled the week of May 13. For the best price ($4/bale), go pick up your bales right out of the field. If you can’t pick them up, Ken and other regional farmers can deliver. Not near Austin or Taylor? Check around for growers in your area. Try StrawLocator.com or email us if you have trouble locating bales near you.
Parts of our 2012 straw bale post deserve repeating:
Need bales but not quite yet? Ken can store your purchased bales. Remember: The more times a bale is handled (picked up out of the field, put into storage, loaded onto a trailer, etc.), the more expensive it gets. So getting your bales right out of the field is the most cost effective way to do it.
In addition to the usual checks for quality (density of the bale, dryness, color, strength of the fibers, mold-free, etc.), Ken offers these cautions when selecting bales:
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For structural bales (wall construction), do not use bales made by a rotary combine. A rotary combine chops the straw into short pieces and the bales are not as sound.
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Ask your bale source if he/she has baled for construction before. If not, be careful.
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Make sure the cut straw was baled before being rained on in the field.
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Beware of bales offered on CraigsList. Do your research and inspection.
To inquire further or purchase bales from Ken Richter in Taylor, Texas, call him at 512-963-5807.
 June 7, 8 & 9, 2013
After last year’s success, Keep Bastrop Beautiful is hosting their second Green Expo at the Convention Center. This year’s event will feature educational speakers, health and eco-oriented exhibitors, demonstrations, music, food, kid’s activities and more. The Green Expo will energize individuals, business and organizations seeking information, inspiration and innovation. Best of all, it will serve as a stimulus to move us in the direction of a culture that is both economically viable and ecologically sound. For details, visit the Heart of Texas Green Expo website.
Design~Build~Live will have a booth at the Expo and will be doing demonstrations of natural building materials and systems. Please come and join us – Bastrop is only about 45 minutes from Austin. Carpool if you can.
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