Where it all started and where it’s going
Apparently, straw-bale gardening goes back to ancient times; more recently, it has been discovered, used and codified by Joel Karsten, who started about 30 years ago. Karsten has a Bachelor of Science in Horticulture from the University of Minnesota. Although he lives on a small lot now, he grew up on a farm, and he noticed how weeds love to grow around straw, and how straw broke down.
When he bought his first house, he didn’t have enough money to build raised beds out of wood, so he decided to experiment with straw bales. Lo and behold, it worked. Then he wrote the book on it.
By now, he’s written a few books on straw bale gardening. He also speaks on the topic, not only to garden groups around Minnesota and surrounding states, he’s taken his ideas to Cambodia.
Cambodia has particular problems with growing food because every year it has a flood season followed by a drought season. The flood season is not just wet, it’s drenched. And the drought season has extended periods of 38-degree plus weather.
Working with the Korean Trade Partners and other non-government organizations, Karsten is part of a team that has figured out a solution. A typical farmer has 2.5 acres of land. On that land, they use a backhoe to dig an enormous hole, 20 feet deep and 40 by 40 feet in area. The heavy clay that is excavated gets piled to one side and packed down.
Bales made of rice straw go on top of the berm and are planted there. They are not flooded out because the water drains down into the hole. The water that collects in the hole, too, stays around for use during the drought that follows the flood.
Alternatively, rafts can be constructed from bamboo, sturdy enough to hold bales for planting. The rafts float above the water in the rainy season.