Root cellars were once ubiquitous on farms (though on a much smaller scale than what Fisher-Merritt is planning). “That concept of root cellaring is absolutely the next step we need to strengthen the local food system in Minnesota.” “This is an idea that is completely needed,” said Kathryn Draeger, director of the University of Minnesota’s Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships program. The rest of the budget-up to $300,000 for all the bells and whistles-will come from grants, loans, and savings. In June, it launched a Kickstarter campaign asking for a minimum of $25,000. To help pay for the ambitious plan, the popular farm is turning to the community. The outsized root cellar, supporters say, has the potential to build local food infrastructure, improve the energy efficiency of agriculture in the region, and act as a model for other farmers with short, northern growing seasons. The project is not just about satisfying a craving for local carrots in February. “Not even pushing it, we should be able to store about 300,000 pounds ,” Fisher-Merritt said. He hopes to build a 3,700-square-foot root cellar that he says has the potential to keep fresh vegetables-not just root vegetables, but winter squash, cabbage, apples, and other cold storage food-available all winter long. This second-generation farmer is putting a modern twist on an old-fashioned idea that could help scale up the local food economy in the region. Try root cellaring in your own life and you’ll probably never want to be without it again.At Food Farm in northern Minnesota, Janaki Fisher-Merritt is getting back to his roots. Root cellars used to be a necessity of pioneer life, but modern homeowners are discovering them again, saving money, eating better and enjoying a new independence from the grocery store. Air can pass right through this type of foam, allowing condensation to occur underneath. Whatever you do, never use the white, beady expanded polystyrene foam insulation in a cold room. This prevents indoor air from getting behind the foam and condensing during winter. This foam needs to be sealed to the wall along all edges using caulking or spray foam. Extruded polystyrene foam is a good option for this, covering the foam after installation with cement board or mold-proof drywall. Extend this wall insulation so it’s 12” below the level of soil outside. The solution is to add 2”-thick sheets of closed cell foam insulation to the ceiling of a cold room and part way down the walls. The problem with so many cold rooms is insufficient soil cover around the structure. The second reason for venting is to expel gases given off by produce. Whenever you need to lower the temperature or humidity inside the cellar while it’s cooler outside than inside, open the vents and monitor temperature. First, you’ll want to admit a controlled amount of cold outdoor air into the root cellar during autumn, winter and spring. This encourages ventilation of the entire root cellar space, and that’s important for two reasons. One vent opens at ceiling level, and the other one at floor level. You’ll also need to install two 4” diameter vents to the outdoors. Choose one corner of your basement (ideally the northeast or northwest corner), build two insulated walls to define your root cellar space in the basement, then install an insulated door and shelves. This below-ground space is naturally cooler. These days basements are still a great place to build a root cellar. Traditionally, root cellars were often built in the earth below pioneer homes to keep food from freezing over winter.
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