ave
you ever heard tell of South Knowlesville? It's in the willy-wags of
Western New Brunswick, not far from the village of Florenceville. It
is a spectacular landscape, indeed, with rolling hills and beautiful
valleys. The area is home to succeeding generations of some of the
first immigrant settlers to Canada. They have certainly anchored
themselves to this place, and their architecture mirrors their
tenacity to stay put. Here there are many great ancient barns, and
many are still in use for they do not give in to decay easily. Built
by hand using immense timbers, the frames of the barns were lifted
into place using only the arm strength of family and neighbors. Their
wood barns and houses were borne of the land they stood above.
(photo: Leland Wong-Daugherty)
My wife, Tegan, and I, also build from materials that come from
this landscape. We build with straw. Straw is the woody stem of a
grain crop, like wheat. When baled into square blocks by the farmer,
straw can be used as a load-bearing, fire-resistant, highly insulative
building material. With a little thought and concern for the state of
the environment, one may realize that strawbales are an ideal
construction material. Lime plaster from the farm supply store is used
to finish the interior of the straw walls. Have you seen the soft
curved walls of a strawbale home? They are well worth seeing. And more
of our neighbors are considering it for outbuildings and even their
homes. I can name at least 11 locations where a straw structure has
been built in New Brunswick.
(photo: Leland Wong-Daugherty)
You are aware of the romantic symbols we identify with in a rural
setting - the crowing rooster, the nosy pigs, the fresh blackberry pie
cooling off in the open window? These are real, yet are only a portion
of the entire picture. Strawbale structures play a small role in
reinforcing these classic images of the agrarian world, because today,
so much of that poetry has been lost on the farm. I've chosen to see
if a livelihood can be built upon the realities that created our
remote rural memories. My structures are built primarily by hand, that
glorious five-digit implement that lies waiting to be used at the end
of our arm. The human body is a wonderful, capable instrument. In
fact, strawbale construction depends on hands being involved. Our
strawbale home owes thanks to many helping hands along the way.
Mudding day brought together 11 friends adorning gloves and old
clothes to plaster the outside wall with local riverbed clay and sand.
(photo: Leland Wong-Daugherty)
Tegan and I are both urban youth, yet have adopted the rural
countryside as our home. On February 16th, 2003?, Leona Naomi
Daugherty was born into this amazing world. Ever since her birth, we
have begun the most incredible adventure of our lives. She has renewed
a special appreciation for the natural world with her wonder at the
colours, textures, smells and tastes of everything around her. Indeed,
South Knowlesville will be more of home to Leona than we may ever
know. In the same special way that so many hands have helped build a
cozy abode out of straw, we are hoping friends and neighbors will fill
Leona's life with love, caring and experience. The richest gifts by
far of the rural backcountry are the people, the community they make,
and the land on which we live.
