Store Your Food
Let nature keep your food cool. In the old days people relied on pantries and root cellars to help keep produce and other provisions fresh. Ice boxes made way for refrigerators, which are obviously much more convenient, but somehow the use of cool pantries and root cellars also fell by the wayside. This is too bad because these spaces havefunctions that a refrigerator simply can't replace. Root cellars can store large quantities of produce from the time of harvest until the next summer. Cool pantries can store some produce, but also all manner of other foodstuffs and kitchen supplies can be kept there. Cool, dry storage is the best way to preserve most food. The cool of the earth can keep a totally bermed pantry or root cellar cool; the night air can also be used to cool a storage room. The convenience and security of having ample provisions at your fingertips can not be beat.
ARTICLES:
The Lost Art of Root Cellars and Pantries
Building an Earthbag & Stone Root Cellar
EXPERT
ADVICE
with Kelly Hart
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Plan
Free Earthbag Root Cellar
Owen Geiger, Designer
Earthbag rootcellar features:
- Standard 15” earthbag walls with lower courses filled with gravel (18”x30” bags or tubes)
- Optional insulated room with 12” walls for a freezer
- Superinsulated shed roof
- White metal roofing to reflect sunlight
- Earthbag steps covered with cement plaster
- Cellar door to keep rain and snow off the stairs (and prevent flooding)
A larger version of this plan can be seen www.earthbagbuilding.com
Informative Links
tribwatch.com extensive article about root cellars
howtogardenadvice.com has detailed information about how to dehydrate vegetables.
chelseagreen.com Eliot Coleman's tips for creating a root cellar.
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I specifically disclaim any warranty, either expressed or implied, concerning the information on these pages. Neither I nor any of the advisor/consultants associated with this site will have liability for loss, damage, or injury, resulting from the use of any information found on this, or any other page at this site. Kelly Hart, Hartworks LLC.
