<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div>Hello all,</div><div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>Our friend, Emma Fitzgerald, recently shared the following interesting piece of local knowledge on "dung quality" with Andy and I:</div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div><blockquote type="cite"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: -1; "> I haven't done much work with lime/manure etc. but a book I was recently reading about manure finishing in Botswanna said that the grass was important for its lipid content, which works as a binding agent. In years when there was drought, and the cows only fed on leaves, the women knew that the dung would not be of the same quality. </span></blockquote></div><div><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">They mention fat content in grass as a factor in dung plastering in Chapter 6, Colour and Materials, and quote a 71 year old italian builder who lived in Gabaronne, </blockquote><blockquote type="cite">The reference is "Decorated Homes in Botswanna" by Sandy and Elinah Grant, published in 1995, Bay Publishing, Gabaronne.<br><br>Best,</blockquote><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div>kim<br><blockquote type="cite"><div class="gmail_quote"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.8ex; border-left-width: 1px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex; "><div link="blue" vlink="blue" lang="EN-GB"><div><div><div class="h5"><div><div style="word-wrap: break-word; "><div style="min-height: 14px; "><div><br class="khtml-block-placeholder"></div></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial; ">Le 19/04/2011 15:12, Andy Horn a écrit :</span></font></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><font color="#317d17" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(49, 125, 23); ">Hi all</span></font></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><font color="#317d17" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(49, 125, 23); ">I am busy with 3 large straw bale public building, coating in a thick dipping of earth plaster and well worked in to the bales, which we are protecting with 2 top coats of lime, sand, cow dung and clay water plaster using a recipe I learnt from an old builder Herbert whom was taught it by his grandfather for the plastering of the adobe buildings of his old Moravian mission town.</span></font></p></div><p style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; "><font color="#317d17" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(49, 125, 23); "> </span></font></p><div><p class="MsoNormal"><font color="#317d17" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(49, 125, 23); ">We are having a bit of difficulty getting sufficient supplies of fresh cow dung near our site in Johannesburg, however we have located a nearby feedlot, where the stuff is readily available only thing is that I are wondering if this kind of cow dung would still be suitable ….as I imagine it would have less fibre than cow dung sourced from free ranging cattle. Apparently the cows at the feeding station are fed on about 10% hay/grass and 90% grain.</span></font></p></div><p style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; "><font color="#317d17" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(49, 125, 23); "> </span></font></p><div><p class="MsoNormal"><font color="#317d17" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(49, 125, 23); ">What Herbert our old heritage builder tells us is that it should be fine so long as they are fed some fibre and that indeed he has made use of such cow dung before and one cannot even tell the difference. For him the more important thing is that the cow dung is fresh …i.e. no more than 3 days old.</span></font></p></div><p style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; "><font color="#317d17" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(49, 125, 23); "> </span></font></p><div><p class="MsoNormal"><font color="#317d17" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(49, 125, 23); ">So anyhow I was wondering if any of you lot out there have any with experience in using feed-lot cow dung for their plasters and if you have come up against similar issues in terms of what the cows get to eat affecting the quality of the cow dung before and if you have any opinions/experience with this.</span></font></p></div><p style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; "><font color="#317d17" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(49, 125, 23); "> </span></font></p><p style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; "><font color="#317d17" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(49, 125, 23); "> </span></font></p><div><p class="MsoNormal"><font color="#317d17" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(49, 125, 23); ">Incidentally the plaster mix that we get with this receipt is particularly good. It is both very strong and extremely durable as well as being particularly forgiving and really easy to work with as lime plasters typically go.</span></font></p></div><p style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; "><font color="#317d17" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(49, 125, 23); "> </span></font></p><div><p class="MsoNormal"><font color="#317d17" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(49, 125, 23); ">So if any of you are interested I could email you a pdf document directly ( please respond to me separately on <a href="mailto:andy@ecodesignarchitects.co.za" target="_blank"><font color="#0024f8"><span style="color: rgb(0, 36, 248); ">andy@ecodesignarchitects.co.za</span></font></a> ….do not reply to the whole mailing group) that I have written up on the process…as I am not sure I can mail it to this address direct….unless you want me upload it somewhere. Joyce I would be more than happy for you to print it up in a forthcoming “Last Straw” magazine too.</span></font></p></div><p style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; "><font color="#317d17" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(49, 125, 23); "> </span></font></p><div><p class="MsoNormal"><font color="#317d17" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(49, 125, 23); ">cheers</span></font></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><font color="#317d17" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(49, 125, 23); ">Andy</span></font></p></div><p style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; "><font color="#317d17" face="Arial" size="3"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(49, 125, 23); "> </span></font></p><p style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; "><font color="#317d17" face="Arial" size="3"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(49, 125, 23); "> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 221); font-size: 12px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: -1; ">______________________________________</span></span></font></p><div><p class="MsoNormal"><font color="#001fd7" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 31, 215); ">GSBN mailing list</span></font></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><font color="#0024f8" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 36, 248); "><a href="mailto:GSBN@sustainablesources.com" target="_blank">GSBN@sustainablesources.com</a></span></font></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><font color="#0024f8" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 36, 248); "><a href="http://sustainablesources.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/GSBN" target="_blank">http://sustainablesources.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/GSBN</a></span></font></p></div><div style="min-height: 14px; "><div><font color="#001fd7" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 31, 215); "> </span></font></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div></blockquote></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; "><div class="MsoNormal"><span><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; "><b style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-weight: bold; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; ">Kim Thompson</span></font></b><b style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-weight: bold; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; "><br style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold; "></span></font></b></span></font></span><span><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial"><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; ">Straw Bale Projects<br style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11px; ">2699 Northwood Terrace</span></font></font><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; "><o:p style="font-size: 11px; "></o:p></span></font></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial"><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; ">Halifax, Nova Scotia B3K 3S9<br style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11px; ">tel. 902-453-2429 or 902-845-2750</span></font></font></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial"><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; ">e mail: </span></font></font><span><a href="mailto:shipharbour@ns.sympatico.ca" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 255); "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" style="text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(0, 0, 255); font-family: Arial; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; ">shipharbour@ns.sympatico.ca</span></font></font></a><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; "><o:p style="font-size: 11px; "></o:p></span></font></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span><a href="http://www.naturalbuilding.ca" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 255); "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" style="text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(0, 0, 255); font-family: Arial; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; ">www.naturalbuilding.ca</span></font></font></a><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; "><o:p style="font-size: 11px; "></o:p></span></font></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#0000FF" face="Arial"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; "> </span></font></span></font><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; "><o:p style="font-size: 11px; "></o:p></span></font></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#0000FF"><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); font-family: Arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; ">"Tradition and modernity are merely two sides of the same coin - and must be dealt with simultaneously. Building cannot be a rigid dogma, but a living, organic, ecological project. It is about continuity, based on memory, common sense and experience and is the foundation of invention." Hasan Uddin Khan</span></font></font></font><span><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; "><o:p style="font-size: 11px; "></o:p></span></font></span></span></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; "><br class="khtml-block-placeholder"></span></font></div><div><br class="khtml-block-placeholder"></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></span></div></div></body></html>