Organic business to unveil unique straw-built barn

Tim and Caroline Sellers of Carr House Farm and Side Oven Bakery, at Foston on the Wolds, are inviting people to join them for an interactive day that will include demonstrations of hemp plastering, nest boxes for wildlife and nature walks.

The addition – called the Gingerbread Barn – was built exclusively from Wolds-grown straw from organic primitive wheat species spelt and plastered with lime and clay mixed at Brandesburton and reinforced with home grown hemp.

It was commissioned by the Sellers as a sustainable storage area that would also serve as a teaching room for the increasing number of educational visits they host.

The barn took eight months to build and needed 350 bales of straw.

Mr Sellers said: “Straw bales are a superb natural, sustainable building material.

“They provide a high level of insulation that can significantly reduce the energy needed to heat or cool a building and when combined with plaster on both sides, straw bale walls are fireproof, vermin proof and airtight.

“We’re thrilled with the barn and are looking forward to sharing it with our visitors on May 15.”

Jon Trail from Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s will display different types of nest boxes and will be dissecting pellets to show visitors what owls feed on.

Visitors will also be able to learn more about wildlife, conservation and how pesticide-free farming benefits the environment.