Summer harvest is here, along with a little update on what we’ve been working on this summer — Online PDC, Earthen building code, and more!
Cob Code Approved for the 2021 IRC
For the first time, a Cob Construction Appendix has been approved for inclusion in the International Residential Code for building codes in the United States and a number of other countries. What is Cob? Also known as “monolithic adobe,” cob is an ancient method of earthen construction, used for thousands of years around the world in regions including Britain, Northern …
Black Lives Matter – A Message of Solidarity
Quail Springs issues a message of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and we recognize our responsibility to act now.
Cuyama Groundwater Update
When electricity was first made available in the Cuyama Valley in the first half of last century, pumps began extracting the seemingly abundant groundwater in this otherwise dry high desert environment. All the formal hydrologic reports that have been researched and published on the basin suggest the imbalance was apparent within a decade. Groundwater extraction has increased
We Intend to Be Here After This Storm Passes
We hope that this post finds you well today. We’re thinking of our extended community out there, sheltering in place in so many different ways. We’ve been enjoying hearing your stories of how you’re spending your days, and look forward to more. Thankfully, all of us on the land at Quail Springs are healthy and well at this time. As an …
Is it Spring Already?
Aside from a bit of snow on Sunday night (yay, moisture!), it feels like spring has arrived at Quail Springs already. The birds are singing and nesting, the frogs and red-winged blackbirds are active in and around the pond. Lizards are out soaking up the sun, and so are we!Are you interested in joining us (and the lizards) out here …
Winter Wool
Here at Quail Springs the season is changing. It’s becoming colder and wetter by the week, and as the weather shifts, so do we. We get to go inwards – literally and figuratively. We light up the woodstoves in our spaces and hunker down with our favorite crafts. So, keeping this sweet wintry image in mind, picture this: I walk …
Student Spotlight: Daiva
(above: Daiva and her mom, Sylvia) Daiva came to Quail Springs in 2017 for a natural building internship, where she learned how to combine straw, sand, and clay to create earthen homes that are beautiful, affordable, and made of locally-sourced materials. Since then Daiva has built earthen homes in Mexico, Bolivia and California, and has taught earthen building in Oaxaca. …
Living Big in a Tiny House Interview (Video)
Our very own Sasha & John had the wonderful opportunity to be interviewed by Bryce Langston of Living Big in a Tiny House. In the video they give you all a special look inside their beautiful earthen home here at Quail Springs. Be sure to head over to the Living Big in a Tiny House website to read the full …
Quail Springs Natural Building Update
Written by John Orcutt Greetings, and thanks to all of you who joined us at Quail Springs this fall to help us move forward on a few natural building projects. We accomplished so much! We have just posted a new job opportunity at Quail Springs for a Hosting and Volunteer Director. This individual will be creating and inviting you all …