The Milkweed Mercantile
Our Straw Bale building

Our goal with the Milkweed Mercantile is to build a comfortable, weather-appropriate building out of ecologically benign, non-toxic, earth-friendly, sustainable and renewable materials. This, however, is easier said than done. One of the most important things that we’ve learned living here at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage is that there is much more gray area than there is black and white. There are very few easy answers, and many variables.

Given our budget, the local climate (hot and humid in the summers, cold and windy in the winters) and locally-available materials, we have chosen to build a straw bale building and cover it with hydrated lime plaster. Interior walls and ceilings are constructed of either reclaimed and locally harvested lumber, or sheet rock. We expect to use sheep’s wool, blown cellulose (which is recycled newspapers torn into miniscule pieces) and commercially-manufactured batting made of recycled denim for ceiling insulation. The 18” thick straw bales provide the insulation for the exterior walls, keeping the building warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. With their undulating, not-completely-straight lines, they also help enhance the soothing, serene atmosphere.

We will harvest rainwater and store it in a 7,000 gallon cistern which has been built under the front porch. This is the water that will be used for all drinking, cooking and bathing. Our composting toilets are top of the line and will, we hope, show the beauty of recycling everything. Our gray water (used water from sinks and showers) will be taken care of through a series of constructed wetlands. We are working closely with local and state Health Inspectors to design a wetlands system that meets local/state/federal health requirements and the ecological and aesthetic ideals of DR.

When designing the building we not only considered the final uses (inn, café and store) but aesthetics as well. Sustainablility is not about deprivation, and projects built from reused, recycled and renewable materials can be beautiful as well as ecological. We are excited to share what we are doing.

One of our primary goals is to ensure a comfortable mix between privacy of guests and community interaction. Additionally, the building will feature the following benefits that come with “green “ building:

• Quiet serenity inside the building
• No chemical odors or residual toxins from building materials, furniture, or floor coverings.
• Plentiful natural light
• Excellent insulation providing a cool environment in summer (without air “conditioning”) and warmth in winter
• Carefully planned passive solar heating through southern windows
• Onsite generation all of our own power from the sun and wind. If one isn’t plentiful on a particular day, the other usually is. Plus, we almost always have power during storms, while our more conventionally-powered neighbors huddle in the dark
• Thoughtfully planned air flow for warmth in winter and lower temperatures and humidity in summer
• Rainwater is used for drinking, cooking and bathing. It will be filtered, but unlike public water systems, will have nothing added. It is delicious!
• Recognizable building materials – wood, stone, etc.
• Window seats and nooks for reading
• A fireplace with a highly-efficient insert is used to heat the building. All wood burned has been discarded from local wood industries (a furniture company and a pallet mill).

Milkweed Mercantile is designed to meet the Dancing Rabbit Ecological Covenants and will far exceed the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) requirements.

Check back soon for more details on the design and construction of the building. We will continue to add information and photos as the building progresses. We are excited to share all of this with you, and appreciate your support!