Michael I. Pulskamp REALTOR®, EcoBroker®

Although not technically in Amador County this is about a wonderful real estate subject here in the Northern California foothills

People coming together to build housing is a foundational human experience that so many of us these days never get to enjoy. The bond built between people who build together is something that has been part of the lives of our ancestors, but that many of us have sadly lost. Now you have the chance to get involved in a weekend of Cob building with a bunch of great new friends.

So you say, “What is cob”? Well you might be more familiar with the idea of adobe. Simply put adobe is straw, sand, water, and clay mixed together and formed into blocks that are dried and then stacked to make walls. This is a far-reaching and well-founded technology that has been used in many parts of the world. Cob is very closely related to adobe, the biggest difference is that cob is stacked wet as opposed to in dry brick form. The finished building can actually be stronger, and often has a more rounded feel to it.
Many things are common to both styles of building. Both are very long lasting, both are very inexpensive, both can be finished in the same ways, both fit most peoples definition of green! And done right both can be beautiful, healthy, human housing.


Best of all, unlike in modern stick building, you have the tools and the background to do this kind of work, I bet each and every one of us has played in the mud! So travel back to your childhood, travel back to humanity’s childhood, and travel forward to see one way we can help to fix the future with cob, a timeless, green building technology.

Come out to the foothills and get dirty! What a chance to learn cob building from the best! Misha Rauchwerger and his wife and co builder Alisheva have built Calaveras County’s first permitted cob building, and they are holding a training workshop weekend. If you are lucky they might even show off their gorgeous straw bale home. This is a hands on learning experience and a great chance to meet wonderful people that you will not soon forget. Feel free to ask me any questions about this, either in the comments or directly, I would love to meet you at the workshop.

Here is the flyer:

Learn to Build Your Own Home of Hand-Sculpted Earth

You can make a difference! Learn about alternative construction techniques: monolithic adobe (cob) and straw bale. Our built environment uses a huge fraction of our earth’s resources and energy, and creates a disproportionate amount of waste and pollution. Natural building is a viable and creative solution. Have fun, get your feet in the mud, and earth stuck to your soul!

hands-on (and feet!) building: mix and build the monolithic adobe wall of a bathhouse addition onto a monolithic adobe studio

topics covered will include: sustainable materials choices, passive solar design, overview of earth building techniques and straw bale construction methods, permitting an alternative home

organic, vegetarian lunch and home-brewed Ecstatic Elixer will be provided

natural building slide show Saturday evening

music jam Saturday night in the acoustically awesome, adobe studio

when: Saturday, November 8th, 9:00am - 7:30pm: workshop and slide show
Sunday, November 9th, 9:00am - sunset: practicum
for people wanting more time in the mud

where: site of non-toxic and natural, solar-powered straw bale home
and monolithic adobe studio (engineered and building code approved)
16061 Curtis Court, Sonora, CA 95370

cost: $50-$100 sliding scale with 10% of proceeds to go to FoCuS
(Foothill Collaborative for Sustainability)
work-trade available (no one turned away for lack of funds)

what to bring:

rubber boots to stomp in the mud and clothes that you don’t mind getting muddy

plate, cup, fork, spoon, knife

If you wish play music Saturday evening, bring a musical instrument and a potluck dish for an evening meal.

Camping space is available for those wishing to stay for the practicum the next day. Bring a tent and a sleeping bag and pad.

to reserve your spot contact Misha: (209) 532-3972
misha.rauchwerger@gmail.com

misha.rauchwerger@gmail.com

Located on the South side of Highway 88 three miles East of Pine Grove, Mokelumne Bluffs Nature Estates takes a step towards environmental awareness and recognition.

MOKELUMNE BLUFFS NATURE ESTATES SUBDIVISION PROJECT HIGHLIGHTED IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION DOCUMENT



The Mokelumne Bluffs Nature Estates Subdivision project has been selected as a project which will be highlighted in a document being created by the Local Government Commission as a leader in implementation of Low Impact Development (LID) Principles in the Northern California Foothills.

The Mokelumne Bluffs Nature Estates Subdivision project has been selected as a project which will be highlighted in a document being created by the Local Government Commission as a leader in implementation of Low Impact Development (LID) Principles in the Northern California Foothills. Project Manager Krista Clem said she is excited that the project is being recognized for implementing the LID elements, which include planning for LID from the first planning phase, hiring renowned wildlife biologist Terry Strange as a consultant, and including items such as building envelopes, bio-swales, rock lined culverts rather than underground storm water systems, minimization of non-porous surfaces, and homeowner education packets to help insure that the ideas are carried forward by purchasers of lots within the subdivision. In fact, the project has successfully implemented design principles which will insure that at a maximum only approximately 30% of the entire site is impacted by development.

Hopefully this is an early step towards a great new green housing development here in the Amador County foothills. Know that as Amador County’s first EcoBroker® certified REALTOR® I am looking forward to helping this project along.

The wind that blows over the mountain will soon be powering Kirkwood Mountain Resort!

Just above the top of Amador County, Kirkwood Mountain Resort is working to be the first ski area in the area to meet the lion’s share of its electrical needs with renewable energy generated right on site.

The resort witch actually sits in Alpine County has come to an agreement to purchase 20 high tech wind turbines from Synergy Power Corp. of Reno, Nevada. These turbines will be hooked up to the resort’s present power system and should supply 6,000 kwh per day, or about 20 % of the peak winter demand, and just about all of the summer needs.

The project’s plans are still in the early days but if it passes muster the Turbines could be spinning up by 2010.

Even though a number of Tahoe and other area ski resorts have been shrinking their energy and C02 impacts by purchasing renewable energy for years, Kirkwood looks to be the first to generate on-site as opposed to buying credits or power generated remotely

Kirkwood is also installing solar arrays over parking lots and upgrading the old “dirty” diesel generation plant that they rely on now for a cleaner natural gas system.

For more information on green real estate in Amador County look here!

See what Joanne Hanson has to say about ski resorts in her area using wind power.

Amador City, The smallest incorporated city in California, has all of the charm and old gold rush feel that sets Amaodor County apart from all of the other areas of this great state. Not to mention André's Bakery. If you've been you know...

Amador City sits on highway 49 just North of Sutter Creek, less than an hour from Sacramento. If you are coming out to see the area, click over to Mainstreet Brokers first to see what's up.

Spanning multiple climatic regions, picturesque Amador County climbs from the edge of the San Joaquin Valley to the crest of the High Sierra mountain range.

Even though we are most well known for the Gold Rush era charm of the quaint towns nestled in each valley along highway 49, Amador County has all of the amenities that anyone needs.

We enjoy all four seasons and Amador County has areas to enjoy each season’s special activities.

Real estate in Amador County is just as varied as the climates. In Amador County you can find new homes, or houses that have been here for well over a hundred years, single house lots in town or ranch land with hundreds and hundreds of acres. The people are nice and even though most of the Gold Rush is over, Treasures are abundant here in Amador County, “The Mother Load.”