Mesa Winds Papercrete Barn
Paper barn or rock-paper-scissors
Wink has been dreaming "b a r n" for many moons. The basic size was determined two years ago with the foundation pouring and then we built a pond and became engrossed in the farm's micro irrigation planning and execution — big and worthwhile delays.
A new barn is almost like rediscovering an extinct species! Wink played with the idea of a metal pre-fab building that cost less than the cement foundation, slipform stone similar to Helen and Scott Nearing's The Good LIfe, and finally settled on the most local, most renewable and sustainable material possible — paper! — papercrete, that is. 
What is papercrete?
The total number of blocks used on the barn?
Frank and Tanner side the cupola and button up the roof.
When a person sees one of these hefty looking blocks and picks it up, they nearly fall backwards and the block flies over their heads — the blocks are that lightweght!
A couple of years ago we visited the Joe's papercrete block factory on Redlands Mesa. We were impressed to see local waste paper turned into an energy efficient, low input, and local building material.
The blocks are also easy to cut, shape, and "grate" to make the walls even.
They are also waterproof, fire resistant, and strong.
The biggest plus however might be their R value (36), they make great insulation. Wink is so impressed with that quality that he decided to make the northside of the barn into a cooler using papercrete blocks as both wall and insulation.
Our barn will be a test of time for this new material, a barn we expect to be standing as long as barns in the northeast and midwest. Wink chose a traditional style and multipurpose layout. Basically it's one large room that can be used for fruit sorting and packing, our apple sorting line, and winemaking if we decide to apply for a license.
A smaller room under the shed roof on the southside is a shop so Wink's tools will have a home and Wink can build, mechanic, and escape into woodworking when he feels a calling or need.
Upstairs is roomy enough for storage and possibly will serve as a fruit drying room. Outside the barn we will attach a bat house and hopefully get their help controlling the codling moths in the apples.
Roof trusses arrive
Paper is one wood product, so metaphorically speaking, these trusses slid off the semi like envelops into a letterbox. You might notice a few scraps going astray in the next to last photo, but we were assured that these were merely extra pieces to even out the bottom layer.
This website is a powerful tool for inquiry and for sharing what we learn. We hope you'll visit again! - W