Please join the California Straw Building Association for:
Ray And Roman's Clay Plaster Work Party!
North Fork, CA
August 8-10, 2025
Join us for a Clay Plaster Work Party led by It's time to throw some mud on these walls! No Experience Necessary! The work party is being led by experienced clay builders Darles Eaton and Chris McClellan aka Uncle Mud.
All are welcome. No prior experience required. There are a range of tasks in the plastering process so everyone can get involved at every level of interest and skill. During this weekend we will be applying the first scratch coat of plaster onto the straw bale walls. Save the date for the Brown Coat Plaster Workshop August 30-September 1, and Finish Coat Workshop in October.
Invitation from Ray and Roman:
Friends, As you may know, we are rebuilding our home that was destroyed by a wildfire in North Fork, California. Some interest has been expressed in finding out more about the house, and the evolving fields of Sustainable Design and Green Building which is why we hosted a bale raising last month. See a time-lapse video of the bale raising here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZyW8OAFVas. Now we are inviting you to help with the plastering process of this straw bale home.
The house is a passive/active solar design which incorporates straw-bale, solar control, massive floors, and an off-grid solar electric system. Its straw-bale portion is a non-load- bearing (aka infill) straw-bale design, with the roof already in place.
Work will begin on Friday and you are welcome to join us then! This will give the most information about all of the preparation that goes into the plaster process and preparing the walls. Camping is available Friday/Saturday/and Sunday nights for those who need it. Saturday and Sunday work will begin at 8:30 am. If you want to join us, but cannot be there the entire day, please let me know what hours work for you. It would be really appreciated if morning participants try to be there by 8:30 on Saturday, as we'd like to begin with a brief training and then get right to work. There are many great spots on the property for you to make a campsite. (There is a full bathroom and hot shower available for all) I know some of you are bringing camper vans to park, and there are also many Airbnbs in town if that is more your jam.
We will provide meals and drinks throughout the day starting with breakfast at 7:30 am sharp. If you are local to NF and want to bring a snack, dessert or side-dish to share just let us know! Also, if you are unable to attend but want to help out, you can Venmo Ray a donation for meals. ( His Venmo is @Ray-Ford ) Or you can Zelle him at 323-445-6365. If you don't want to deal with the plaster at all we are also looking for someone to help wrangle food and meal prep. Just let Ray know.
The house is in North Fork, CA 93643. We will provide directions and related information to you once you let us know that you can join us. Please wear sturdy shoes and long sleeves, and bring gloves, a water bottle and a mask if you have them. Anyone with plastering tools is certainly invited to bring these.
Please RSVP at https://www.evite.com/event/0022P7I2II2VXMSS4EPQLVCKJDMBIA?utm_campaign=send_sharable_link&utm_source=evitelink&utm_medium=sharable_invite by phone or call us at 323-445-6365 We plan to limit participation to around 25 people, so respond promptly to ensure yourself a 'spot'. We hope to see you there!
Cost: Free
