The Last Straw has been a community-produced publication for 35 years, so this month we’re taking a break from the regular round-up and to share a bit on how we're doing and what we’re aiming for in 2025. First a survey to check in and hear from y’all:
ONCE MORE ‘ROUND THE SUN
Thanks for supporting The Last Straw! Whether you read, shared, contributed to us, or are just joining us today, every little bit helps us continue the work of The Last Straw. We’re glad you’re here! Despite remaining a small team of volunteers (Gavin, Kenny, Kevin, Tyler, and Zoe) just working nights and weekends, we did a lot in 2024 including:
Paying magazine contributors a modest honorarium.
Bringing Kevin Yingst to the core collective and continuing to work with contributing editor Tyler Westerman.
Publishing two new issues of the magazine with a closer focus on the big questions of our time: Issue 75 explored the world of straw panels as one strategy for expanding regenerative building and Issue 76 took stock of natural building education both past and present.
Aligning our printing process closer to our ethics: switching to a staple-bound magazine with uncoated inner pages delivered in kraft paper envelopes makes it easier to recycle them and less toxic to produce. Of course, reusing your copies of the magazine by sharing them with friends is even better than recycling!
Growing our Discord server for friends of The Last Straw to talk shop and form community.
We also held our first dreaming-and-scheming retreat in a little cabin among the redwoods after the West Coast Natural Building Conference. Slowing down to be more intentional and make decisions by consensus is something we’ve valued since getting together in 2020. We think that, much like building, how you do something is as important as what you do.
Some interesting stats (as of December 15, 2024) include: 1,767 Instagram followers, 2,571 Facebook followers, 1,525 email newsletter subscribers (with a 53% open rate), about 4,300 unique website page views per month, and over 400 magazines sold. This year we hope to continue growing across multiple platforms and:
Bring back subscriptions in the form of paid memberships, to make it easier to stay in the loop and support The Last Straw (Don’t worry, we’re still finishing out current subscriptions!)
Make regenerative building resources more accessible and widely-known.
Further energize The Last Straw Discord server and host events (online and in real life).
Secure additional funding to ensure the sustainability of The Last Straw.
…and more fun projects we’re excited to share soon!
Even with all the challenges of publishing a magazine on a tiny budget, The Last Straw is still going because of your support! If you’re able to, please consider donating to or sponsoring The Last Straw so that we can help scale up regenerative building and open the crack in conventional construction even wider.
We wish you a lovely new year and if you ever find yourself near London (U.K.), San Francisco (California), or Green River (Utah) please let us know and let’s meet up!
With love,
The Last Straw Editorial Collective
DON’T MISS OUT, GET OUR LATEST MAGAZINE NOW!
The Last Straw Issue 76, on Natural Building Education
How do you learn natural building? How do you teach it? No one told us the one catch-all trick to natural building education, but in this issue our contributors trace the histories and present to figure out a way ahead.