There are now bale structures in nearly all of the 50 states of the USA and in many other coutries as well. Building with straw bales is probably the only building technique developed originally in the United States and then coming to Europe. Straw is an annually renewable crop, available wherever grain crops are grown. It is indeed a waste product, much of which is currently burned in the fields. Straw bales can also be combined to great effect with other natural building systems.
Bales are easy to work with, lightweight and require a minimum of tools.
Stacked like huge bricks, straw-bale wall systems can be erected quickly without much building experience. Both techniques are being shown and their advantages and disadvantages explained. In Holland, in June 1998 the first home with a regular building permit was built out of straw bales. We visited the building site during construction, show interviews with builders and house owner. In Germany, the first houses with an officieal building permit will be built this year.