2-Day Straw Bale Systems

Dates: May 15-16th, 2026

INSTRUCTORS: Greg + Danielle

STUDENT #: 15 students [maximum]

COST (includes meals):

$380 Early Bird Rate (register 30 days in advance)
$430 Regular Rate
5% discount for family + friends participating together!
10% discount for BIPOC participants

DESCRIPTION:

Straw bale construction provides high insulation value and is an excellent option for building a beautiful, non-toxic, energy efficient home - while getting to utilize a super-renewable resource grown by a local or regional farmer! Slip-straw (AKA light straw clay) is another great technique that can be used as a standalone wall system, or in combination with bale walls.

Hands-on learning is our emphasis, with most of each day spent on our work site. On Friday, we'll practice the basics of bale installation in our strawbale learning barn, plus learn to mix and install slip-straw. On Saturday, we'll take on a more detailed and permanent straw bale installation on one of our campus walls, which will include windows. Through these projects, each student will get solid hands-on experience with bales: stacking, re-tying to length, securing, notching, and compressing. There will also be hands-on demos given by the instructors, to cover wiring, variations in stacking methods, and other details.

To supplement our hands-on work sessions, there will be discussions/presentations on other essential topics, plus tours of our natural cottages on campus. We will also provide informational handouts to take home with you, and share any digital presentation materials for your own future reference.

In addition to our scheduled learning time, there is a wonderful community aspect to our workshops. Students are able to stay on campus - either tenting or renting a cottage. All meals are provided from Friday’s breakfast through Saturday’s lunch, which are shared as a group in our community gathering space. Friday night will be a pizza dinner, utilizing our cob pizza oven!

Expect to leave the workshop with the confidence and knowledge to start planning the straw components of your own natural building project! If you're interested in how to plaster a natural wall, our “Intro to Clay Plasters” course runs the following weekend.

HANDS-ON:
* basic straw bale stacking techniques
* re-tying strawbales to length
* vertical bale compression
* slip-straw mixing
* slip-straw installation
* installing straw bales around window/door openings
* prepping straw walls for plaster
* demonstration of running utilities in bale wall systems
DISCUSSION:
* “Key elements to focus on when building with bales”
* “What to look for in a bale?”
* “Options for framing and bale orientations”
* CAMPUS TOUR! - We’ll tour campus buildings, as a general Q+A
8:00-9:00 Breakfast
9:00-12:45 Morning work session
12:45-1:45 Lunch
1:45-5:30 Afternoon work session
5:30-6:30 Unscheduled (Shower, relax)
6:30 Dinner! (only on Friday)
And all meals are provided from Friday’s breakfast through Saturday’s lunch. Food is vegetarian, with vegan and gluten-free options available.
We provide a simple breakfast spread of fresh fruit, oatmeal packets, yogurt & granola, coffee, and tea. (Non-dairy oat and almond milk are available)
Lunches are hearty vegetarian meals, catered by local small businesses. Vegan and gluten-free options are available upon request.
For this course we’ll get to include a Cob Oven Pizza Night! We always look forward to these fun evenings, making pizzas together in our community dining space.
**There is no dinner on Saturday
Tent sites are free!
We have 6 tiny sleeping cottages available to rent - 4 with natural walls, and 2 wooden A-frames. See the options here. Each cottage provides the basics- a mattress with fresh bedding, a lamp, and a fan. If you’re interested in a cottage, there is space to let us know on the registration form.
Check out our FAQ page for more info about nearby towns.
This workshop is held at the Mud Dauber campus, adjacent to our small homestead, in Snow Camp, NC.
We are 10 min away from Saxapahaw, 20 minutes from Siler City & Pittsboro, 30 minutes from Carrboro/Chapel Hill, and one hour from the Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU).

REGISTER:

Click below to fill out the registration form and we’ll get back to you within 48 hours to confirm availability and send your invoice. Your spot will be confirmed once we receive payment. Thank you!

Please read our Refund Policy here.