“Overflowing with invaluable tips and innovative strategies, this guide goes beyond the typical fast crops seen in most market gardens. . . I encourage all growers to study it and level up their farming game.”—Jean-Martin Fortier, author of The Market Gardener and The Winter Market Gardener Beyond the Root Cellar is the inspiring guide that proves that—with a little ingenuity—the savvy grower can successfully select, harvest, store, and sell vegetables throughout the off-season, providing their family and community the local food they need during winter months. Sam Knapp built Offbeet Farm, a winter storage farm in interior Alaska, from the ground up. For the last four years, his success at Offbeet Farm has been a testament to the many benefits of growing crops for wintertime sales. His methods continually prove that winter storage is an excellent way to diversify a farm’s offerings, spread the workload more evenly throughout the year, retain customers and employees during the off-season, and bolster local food systems. Beyond the Root Cellar is a compilation of insights, advice, and instruction, drawing on Sam’s experience and that of many other storage farmers Sam has met along the way. It is, Sam says, the book he wishes he had when he embarked on his own winter storage business, and that he hopes will pave the way for growers both new and established who are interested in storage farming. In Beyond the Root Cellar, you’ll find tips and tools for: Selecting crops and varieties that are best for storage Navigating the ins and outs of storage farm financials and planning Harvesting, processing, and moving crops into storage Designing, creating, and managing temperature- and humidity-controlled storage areas Also included are profiles of nine different storage farms, a crop compendium with in-depth information about eighteen storage crops, and full-color photography throughout that depicts a range of storage facilities, methods, and crops. Beyond the Root Cellar is the must-have, comprehensive winter storage handbook for a wide range of growers, from commercial farmers to market gardeners to homesteaders. “This is next-level market gardening. Knapp is practical and inspiring . . . If you grow vegetables, I recommend that you pick up a copy of this book.”—Ben Hartman, author of The Lean Micro Farm “A must-read for anyone who wants to store produce for any length of time. . . , Even if you don’t plan on storing produce all winter, this book will show you how to keep it as fresh as possible for as long as possible.”—Andrew Mefferd, editor, Growing for Market magazine, author of The Greenhouse and Hoophouse Grower’s Handbook

Tells how to use root cellaring, and gives instruction on both improvising a small root cellar and constructing a true root cellar

Sweet winter squashes, jewel-toned root vegetables, and hearty potatoes make local eating easy and delicious in the colder months of autumn and winter. Whether these vegetables are gathered straight from the garden, from a well-tended root cellar, or the market, their delectable flavors and nutritional benefits pack a powerful punch. With more than 250 easy-to-follow recipes that include Celery Root Bisque, White Lasagna with Winter Squash, and Thai Cabbage Salad, this collection will inspire you to explore the deliciously versatile world of root-cellar vegetables.

For most people, the term “root cellar” evokes an image of a brick or stone masonry subterranean structure tunneled into a hillside. These classic root cellars are only one of a number of different types of structures used to preserve root crops, vegetables and fruits over the past 400 years. The other structures include subfloor pits, cooling pits, house cellars, barn cellars, field root pits & trenches, and root houses. Root Cellars in America provides a history of all the structures, discusses their design principles, and details how they were constructed. The text is accompanied by period illustrations from the agricultural literature along with archaeological photographs.

Nature's way of storing fruits, vegetables and preserves.

Since 1973, Storey's Country Wisdom Bulletins have offered practical, hands-on instructions designed to help readers master dozens of country living skills quickly and easily. There are now more than 170 titles in this series, and their remarkable popularity reflects the common desire of country and city dwellers alike to cultivate personal independence in everyday life.

Growing for 100 - the complete year-round guide for the small-scale market grower. Across North America, an agricultural renaissance is unfolding. A growing number of market gardeners are emerging to feed our appetite for organic, regional produce. But most of the available resources on food production are aimed at the backyard or hobby gardener who wants to supplement their family's diet with a few homegrown fruits and vegetables. Targeted at serious growers in every climate zone, Sustainable Market Farming is a comprehensive manual for small-scale farmers raising organic crops sustainably on a few acres. Informed by the author's extensive experience growing a wide variety of fresh, organic vegetables and fruit to feed the approximately one hundred members of Twin Oaks Community in central Virginia, this practical guide provides: Detailed profiles of a full range of crops, addressing sowing, cultivation, rotation, succession, common pests and diseases, and harvest and storage Information about new, efficient techniques, season extension, and disease resistant varieties Farm-specific business skills to help ensure a successful, profitable enterprise Whether you are a beginning market grower or an established enterprise seeking to improve your skills, Sustainable Market Farming is an invaluable resource and a timely book for the maturing local agriculture movement.