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livingontheland - Re: [Livingontheland] Root Cellars

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  • From: uriel@nasalam.org
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Root Cellars
  • Date: Fri, 23 Mar 2007 19:50:57 -0700

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.




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