Alexander Armstrong

Howdy guys

Thanks for the advice. Ive looked into CEBs and they seem way more convenient. It will probably be the way we go about our house, but I just love the aesthetics of the solid rammed earth walls, and would put in the extra work for it if I'm inspired enough.

I've never thought about using CEBs to make a roofing structure first, and then fill in the walls second. That my friend sounds like a great plan.

There's a post on here about building CEB presses, something I will look more into.

Who has made their own engineered rammed earth home? It's very appealing to me, but without industrial equipment it seems like it would take ages for a small team to finish. Any thoughts or experiences?

My family is saving up for a property, and we like the idea of rammed earth but can't afford a contractor to build it for us. We could buy manual tampers(maybe one air compressor tamper),and rent a small tractor. There are several local quarries I know of to purchase the earthen materials. 2 of us could work 4-6 hours per day 7 days a week while the 3rd would be a few hours on the weekends. We have experience in home construction, but not rammed earth.

Whoops, that was pronghorn antelope.

Howdy Alisa

I'm sure there would be many people interested in visiting/sharing/helping out on your land and this is a great place to start asking.

While I don't live in the immediate vicinity, I'm only a few hours away, and would be interested. What kind of people are you hoping to meet, and what are you planning on accompliahing with your 40 acres?

Also, have you see any program antelope in the Cuyama Valley since you bought your land? They are an intriguing animal for sure.

Kind regards!

From Owens Lake to South Lake Tahoe. I've searched through the forums and haven't heard of anybody bring up this area. I know of a small farm below Horseshoe Meadows that practices permaculture, but nothing other than that.

The valley in-between the Sierra Nevada Mountans and White Mountains known locally as the Sierra Eastside seems to have a lot of potential for regenerative practices. The history of the region is interesting as well. The LA aqueduct comes to mind. While it is dry, enough water comes from the mountains to allow for thriving ranchlands and in certain areas great food gardens.

I'm a local saving up for a decent plot of land. 2.5-5 acres would be ideal. Anybody have ideas of what would grow well here? Ag zone varies a bit as one travels North and gains elevation within the valley.

Anyone else in the area?

Chuck, I'm interested in this as well, I'll send an email.