Fairfield Part 2: The Mullenneaux Family

Anna's House Under Construction

Now on to the meat-and-potatoes work that Being And Doing, Inc. performed in Fairfield, IA with the Mullenneaux Family. Briggs Shore, the SLC’s Program Coordinator, introduced us to the Mullenneauxs because they were working on their own building projects and she thought the our services might be put to better use in their employ. Little did we know that this introduction would lead to a month and a half of service and fellowship.

The Mullenneaux Family consists of Hap (short for Happy) and Lin; their daughter, Anna; and Hap’s mother Mazee (there are more members of the family, but these are the four who live on the land next to the SLC). A few years ago, Hap and Lin made the conscious decision to live in conjunction with the Earth by building and living in natural structures, relying on their garden for food and energy, and by living off the grid. When we arrived, they were busy building a large timber-frame straw bale house for Mazee and a small straw bale/cob house for Anna.

Note: The mission of Being And Doing, Inc. is to perform volunteer service and promote the work of nonprofit organizations across the board. While the Mulleneauxs are not an officially recognized NPO, they most certainly fulfill the definition of nonprofit. As an “unofficial” nonprofit, they do not take any profit from their sustainable practices aside from necessities for life. In addition, their homestead serves as a teaching tool and living example for people who are interested in sustainability (much like the SLC without the organizational structure), a service that is testified to by the many people who arrived during our workdays just to look at the structures and ask advice of Hap and Lin for their own respective building projects.

Hap and Lin built their cob house last year. Cob is a regionally unique mixture of sand, clay, and straw that dries into a cement-like building material. Their home is simple and small, but as Lin says, “The land is their home.” The house has a dining/living area, a small office nook that has an internet-enabled computer running on a solar panel, and an upstairs loft for sleeping quarters. They cook meals in an outdoor kitchen that has a propane grill and storage for foodstuffs. There are several rainbarrels for collecting water for cooking and cleaning (any water that is ingested is filtered first). They use a composting toilet. They eat soups and salads from their garden daily (a practice that the members of BAD, Inc. came to love and appreciate).  All-in-all, the Mullenneauxs have created a space for themselves and their family that relies on the principle of respect; respect the Earth and, in turn, it will respect and provide for you.

In the six weeks that BAD, Inc. spent with this wonderful group of people, we helped complete many parts of their building projects. In Mazee’s house, we aided the process of plastering the interior, preparing the floor for wood boards, and sanding the flooring after it was laid. Our main project, however, was the overall construction of Anna’s house in order to have it ready for occupation by the time the winter months rolled around.

BAd, Inc. with John, Hap, and Lin in front of Anna's House

When we arrived, Anna’s foundation had been laid and two levels of straw bale had been placed. After we helped place the rest of the bales in position to serve as the structure for the house, it was time for the cobbing process. The process involves mixing clay (from the very land we were building on), sand, and straw by stomping with one’s feet (much like crushing grapes), and by molding the finished mixture into the walls of the house. We helped cob the interior and exterior of the house from the ground up, a time-consuming and overall enjoyable project. After the cobbing was finished, we helped plaster the exterior of the house with a natural plaster composed of clay, sand, straw, and manure. By the time we left Fairfield, the entire structure of the house was completed, including a wood-framed roof that was prepped to be turned into a green roof (covered in soil and plants).

The Mullenneaux’s philosophy of life and the homestead that they have created are beacons for a brighter, simpler, and happier future. Positive change will not occur if we all sit around waiting for it, and this family has certainly taken the initiative to change their own lives for the betterment of themselves and the world around them. Natural building and sustainable living practices are a real possibility (and many would say necessity) for future development.

Thank you Hap, Lin, Mazee, and Anna for your honesty, kindness, and lunches!

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” –Anne Frank