Up & Coming Weekly

DECEMBER 23-29, 2009 UCW 23 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM I've heard of extremely environmentally friendly homes and communities called "Earthships" popping up across the U.S. What are they exactly? -- Kelsey Kuehn, Kirtland, OH An Earthship is a kind of passive solar home — or community of homes — typically made of natural and recycled materials such as old tires and recycled cans. Such homes make use of non-polluting renewable energy sources and smart design to meet most if not all heating, cool- ing and power needs. The term Earthship, coined by self-proclaimed "biotect" Mike Reynolds, is derived from the homes being in and of the Earth — that is, constructed responsibly out of earthen materials and built into the ground. It also refers to living in a ship, which requires inhabitants to be autonomous from outside help (such as a power grid). The concept has spread well beyond from its roots in the desert surrounding Taos, New Mexico. Besides being the headquarters for Reynolds' Earthship Biotecture business, the Taos area is also home to sev- eral Earthship communities which generate their own power without contributing to the atmosphere's grow- ing carbon load and make use of local recycled materi- als to minimize resource use. Construction materials in Earthship homes vary according to what particular recycled items are plen- tiful and useful in a given locale. The New Mexico versions usually consist of exterior walls made from earth-filled tires stacked like bricks and covered in stucco or adobe. These thick outer walls employ "thermal mass construction" to naturally regulate indoor temperatures. Wintertime heating is provided primarily by the Earthship's layout and orientation, with windows on the sunny sides of the building letting in light and heat. A properly constructed Earthship can maintain a comfortable indoor air temperature with plentiful natural ventilation all year-round with little or no help from power-hungry heating or cooling equipment. According to the website Greenhomebuilding.com, some other common features in Earthship homes include: curving interior walls fleshed out with recycled cans mortared together with concrete; rooftop water catchment; reuse of so-called gray water for land- scaping irrigation and plumbing; composting toilets; and other cutting-edge eco-friendly techniques and technologies. Earthship Biotecture makes available via its website several books and videos outlining different perspectives on the Earthship concept, as well as practical information on how to build one of your own. The website also pro- vides a wealth of information on existing Earthships and helps those interested in the concept connect with one another via a global network of builders and enthusiasts. It is also a great place to find an existing Earthship home for sale or rent. The firm also offers internships with Michael Reynolds and other leading practitioners in the emerging discipline. Earthships can be found in most U.S. states today, though New Mexico is the leader, followed closely by Colorado. Several have sprung up in England and France as well as in South Africa, among other countries. And with more and more governments tightening up their building codes to require increased energy efficiency and smarter use of resources, Earthships are bound to be- come even more popular. CONTACTS: Earthship Biotecture, www.earthship. net; Greenhomebuilding.com, www.greenhomebuilding.com. SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk®, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www. emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php. EarthTalk® is now a book! Details and order in- formation at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalkbook. What are "Earthship" Homes? From the Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine An Earthship in Taos, New Mexico, where the concept took root. Image: Annie & John, courtesy Flickr. Just open the door and the smell of freshly baked bread, still warm from the oven, spills into the air. Seasonal spreads call from the refrigerator case wait- ing to top whichever flavor of all natural goodness you choose. Freshly brewed coffee awaits on the corner counter. Strawberry rhubarb, pecan, sweet potato, pumpkin and apple crunch pies beckon from the cooling racks — and don't forget the TLC. It's in every loaf, cup and slice that leaves the bakery. It's another day at Great Harvest Bread Company. Tim and Cyndy Murphy bought the place about three years ago and have been working (literally) night and day to bring fresh, wholesome food choices to Fayetteville. She comes in at 9 or 10 p.m. and works until the wee hours of the morning milling, kneading and baking. He comes in later and manages the books and the new sandwich line that debuted at the shop this fall. "We mill our flour fresh here every day," said Cyndy. "We get the wheat berries in and we mill the flour. It is the whole entire grain that goes into our flour. We don't use preservatives — everything is made from scratch except our bagels. We cream the butter and sugar, add the yeast, water and flour to to the doughs — all of it." There are what the Murphy's refer to as the everyday breads, the staples that are always available, and then there are the seasonal and special recipes. "We change the menu up a lot. Some things we keep on there all the time, they are just basic every day breads — good sellers," said Cyndy. "But we take off some of the specialty breads, like this month we are doing cranberry orange and merry berry and white chocolate and cherry spe- cifically for Christmas. In October and November we had a lot of pumpkin stuff. It is kind of seasonal. The fiber five, the honey whole wheat, the regular white and some other breads like white choc- olate fruit, french toast, asiago pesto and bruschetta — we do those very day." The sandwiches are served on freshly baked bread, of course, and offer something for everyone. There is the classic peanut butter and jelly on white, but more adventurous folks might prefer the Pepper Bleu which sports roast beef with a blue cheese spread on caraway rye bread, or even the Tuscan Chicken Panini with aged provolone melted over a grilled chicken breast with onion, tomato and lettuce and a sun dried tomato pesto on Foccacia bread. It's a lot of work, no doubt, but but lucky for Fayetteville the Murphy's love what they do. "I like the fact that I am accountable to myself so the buck stops here," said Cyndy. "I'd do it again. I love this job — I really love this job. If I am going to spend 12-16 hours a day here, well, you've re- ally got to enjoy it. I love the customers, I like making all the stuff...I just love working here." The bakery is open Monday through Friday 7 a.m. - 6 p.m and Saturday, 7 a.m. - 4 p.m. Sandwiches are served Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Large orders are easily accommo- dated, just call ahead. the num- ber is 323-9955. Business Profile: Grandmas Kitchen x 10 = Great Harvest Bread Company by STEPHANIE CRIDER STEPHANIE CRIDER, Staff Writer COMMENTS? 484-6200 ext. 222 or Stephanie@upandcomingweekly.com Tim and Cyndy Murphy, owners of Great Harvest Bread Company.

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