Reflection: Cement Mixer vs. Feet in Cob Construction

It has been very difficult to find the large number of volunteers to work on our cob shed. Yesterday we rented a cement mixer for $30 for the day and we got eight batches done in seven hours work. The most we have done was last Saturday with UMKC students when we got eleven batches done in four hours. That was the first time that we accomplished the goal of building the walls one foot all around in one day. Using my feet I can get one batch mixed, made into bricks and laid in about 50 minutes and I can do about three a day.

I don’t like using the mixer because of the additional fossil fuel required. However our culture does not seem to be set up to accommodate labor intensive projects. It is so easy to rent a power tool and multiply your time and not immediately see the damage to the environment.

What an opportunity for economic recovery. Redesigning and rebuilding our country to be more sustainable could put everyone to work for years and years. Tax incentives could be offered to everyone who owns a house conserve and so solar when feasible. Neighborhood community could blossom with cooperative work and play projects. It would reduce our dependence on foreign sources for energy and other resources giving us less to fight over.

Marty 816-361-1230