Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[uriel@nasalam.org]

Where I grew up in SW Washington root cellars were not practical  
because the water table would frequently be at ground level so we had  
a "fruit room" with walls filled with a foot or so of sawdust that  
functioned very well to keep fruits and vegetables through the winter,  
and cool in summer.  Where I now live in the Ozarks it would not be  
possible to dig deep enough for a root cellar without encountering  
solid rock.  So this past year I decided to try to create my own  
version of winter storage.  I acquired an old chest freezer that no  
longer worked and a couple refrigerators.  The refrigerators were laid  
on their back so they somewhat resembled the freezer.  At harvest time  
I put in about a foot of straw in the bottom of them all, topped with  
various kinds of old wire trays to serve as a base.  I then put  
various things -- carrots, beets, potatoes, jerusalem artichokes -- in  
net bags and put them in the chests surrounded by more straw.  I put  
tarps over them to keep rain from seeping in. This last week I  
celebrated the beginning of spring with lots of vegetables that had  
come through the winter in great shape.  They're all starting to  
sprout a bit, of course, and I now have carrots and beets ready to  
plant to produce seed and potatoes are due in the ground now too.  I  
think this was a pretty successful experiment that cost me virtually  
nothing.

Uriel / SW Missouri


Quoting Norma Sutton <sweetspringfarm@gmail.com>:

> I have this book Paul,
> It is great.  I use my spring overflow house for most of my cool/damp
> storage, but would love to have a root cellar . . . .however in this area
> they aren't practical as in the spring and fall when the rains start, a root
> cellar would literally be under water.
> Norma
>
>
>
> > In the days before fresh produce was available in supermarkets year-round,
> > a root cellar was an essential part of every home. They're a lost way of
> > life and were once a crucial link in the subsistence chain. In one form or
> > another, we may need to rely upon them once more -- this time after the
> > pole shift. Conditions might render a root cellar a luxury, but it's an
> > option we should be knowledgeable about.
> >
> > Let's take a look at key points from the book "Root Cellaring" by Mike &
> > Nancy Bubel. I'd consider this one a must-get, and I purchased my copy
> > through the Barnes & Noble web site.
>
>
>
> --
> Faith expects from God what is beyond all expectation. - Andrew Murray
>
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>
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