My Thoughts On: Root cellars, Ice houses, Harvest , & LTS food supply By Jerry D Young

I have mentioned some options for root cellars in the past in various conversations. While an underground, or partially underground, root cellar is ideal, there are some options for those that cannot do an underground root cellar.

One way to get a small ‘root cellar’ is to gut the mechanicals out of a well-insulated refrigerator or freezer, put it on its back on the ground, and then mound up around it with earth or straw bales. By adding a few easily removable and replaceable layers of insulation on top, you can have a fairly effective small storage space for root vegetables.

You can do something similar with just the straw bales, but that requires building a suitable heavily insulated door for access into the cavity created by the straw bales.

A search on the internet will turn up a multitude of root cellar alternatives and information.

Some key points to root cellars. Whatever temperature and/or humidity you plan for should be kept very stable. Rapid changes in either will be detrimental to the products being stored. Being dark should be a given. It is also very important. So is pest control. Pest, including insects, rats, mice, raccoons, and other curious beasts, even birds, must be kept out, or there will be huge losses.

There are many types and forms of pest control devices. First line of defense is to have the root cellar sealed well. Concrete or block construction is pretty easy to seal. So are concrete and various polymer septic tanks and water tanks. Wood can be more difficult. And even concrete root cellars my wind up with pests inside.

They can be carried in with items to be stored, sneak past when the door is not watched but left open even a little, carried in on a person’s clothing, and shoes. Many ways. So, methods should be used to capture and/or kill the different types of pests just in case they do make entry.

One of the first lines of defense is to seal every opening into the root cellar. Power lines, ventilation ducts, refrigeration lines, drain lines, even water lines if you have them in there. Place sleeves of an appropriate size and shape through walls and the floor for anything that needs to enter. These can be put in and sealed during construction. They should extend a couple of inches both inside and out. I recommend against any penetrations of any kind through the roof/ceiling. Just too many chances for leaks.

The necessary items are run through the sleeves, and they are then sealed to the sleeve. This is a vastly easier way to seal objects that must pass through flat plane objects. It is extremely difficult to seal, say a pipe, that goes through a hole in a wall. Trying to push something that will seal against both the wall material and item going through it is often difficult. Now there are products, such as spray foam and spray rubber that can make it easier.

However, the item going through the wall or floor is still subject to any movement of the structure. If enough space is left to avoid this, and the sprays are used, it leaves them vulnerable to rodents and insects getting through.

If sleeves are used, which will be somewhat oversize, but not much, then a flexible seal can be wrapped around the outside of the sleeve and around the item going through it. Plenty of room for movement of the structure and/or movement of the line, without much risk of damaging either during an earthquake or other ground movement event.

For anything that enters that is open in some way, it should be screened. Bug screens are great. They keep out bugs, flies, mosquitos, wasps, and such. They will barely slow down a rat. Even a mouse. And if it is a very large opening raccoons, opossums, even foxes, dogs, and other animals will go right through the screen. And it is amazing how small a hole they can get themselves through.

So, yes, you want bug screen. But you also want rodent screening, and a mesh stout enough to keep the larger pests from getting through. You might have to layer it. There are no single materials that will do it all at once of which I am aware.

There are various decoys, lures, traps, and other types of pest control items that will help keep the larger things away from the root cellar to start with. Scarecrows that have movement mechanisms can work for some animals, as well as birds. Luring animals away with decoys, some sacrificial foods or simply scents, may distract them from the much harder to access root cellar.

There are water spray based systems to chase of dogs, cats, and other smaller animals. They do not always work on raccoons after the first couple of times. Raccoons are wily beasts and can figure out that it is just water. And you would be surprised the types of mechanical latches they can get open. And they are determined.

If there is a heavy infestation of anything that will be a danger to your stored food, it must be dealt with. That could mean traps, either capture type, kill type, or a combination of both. It is far better to stop them outside than after they get inside. And some probably will.

If something does get in, and it is likely if a wood structure is used, or any structure with a dirt floor, other means must be in place to capture or kill the intruder(s). Once something has successfully gotten in, got a taste, and gotten out, there will be more coming, using the same method. So not only must you get rid of what made it in, but also figure out how it did and block that entry.

Outside you have the option to use some pretty nasty stuff to drive away animals and other smaller pests. Inside the root cellar, not as much. You do not want anything very harsh at all inside. That is a fairly tightly enclosed space, even if properly ventilated, and smells, chemical vapors, dry residues, and such can easily get on or be absorbed by the things stored inside.

There are many different homemade and DIY methods to control bugs and the small pests. Tobacco, mint, diatomaceous earth, , beer, and the list goes on. It is easy to research on the internet now, so look up the various ways, document them, and have what you need to use those homemade repellents and stop-them-in-their-tracks items. And no, a rope across the door jamb will not keep out snakes. (Do not even ask.)

There will be losses anyway, even if not from pests, so store as much as possible, to be sure you have enough eatable foods to get you through until the next good harvest and preservation season. Even if a harvest is missed due to any one of a number of reasons. So two year supplies, where possible are better than just one. But always have LTS (long term storage) staples that will keep for several years, packaged so they are protected, to supplement anything that does make it through, or things you are able to harvest, either from your production or from the wild.

Also remember that part of the process of root cellaring is in how the items are stored in the cellar. Some need simply baskets, others need to be strung on twine and hung, or hung in a mesh bag. Some require wet sand or dry sand or sawdust or mulch around them in whatever container they are kept.

Many of the containers will be heavy, so stout shelves are needed in the root cellar. And have the shelves slightly away from the wall, to allow full air circulation all around the containers.

There are some specifics that need to be noted. Some things should not be stored near each other. Some should be stored completely separate from everything else. Some need to be sealed tightly to either prevent the escape of gasses, or the encroachment of gasses from other products. Again, you can find most of this information on-line or in a variety of root cellaring books.

So, for the details on what foods need what root cellar conditions, do your due diligence research and select the specific information you prefer to use.

Some food products that lend themselves to root cellar storage. 1) Apple 2) Dry beans 3) Beet 4) Cabbage 5) Carrot 6) Celeriac 7) Celery 8) Grain corn 9) Garlic 10) Leek 11) Onion 12) Parsnip 13) Pear 14) Potato 15) Pumpkin 16) Rutabaga 17) Shallot 18) Sweet potato 19) Turnip 20) Winter squash

I am including some information on the requirements for storage of some different foods. However, there is quite a bit of disagreement on what works best, what works at all, and what will destroy everything (according to some), so do that due diligence research that I keep mentioning now. Find out what works bests for the foods you intend to grow. Find out which foods store better than others. And practice. Grow things and store them in a root cellar, even if it is a small temporary one just to get the hang of it.

Here are some examples of requirements for different items:

Cold and moist storage: 32 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit 80 to 90 percent relative humidity 1) Apples (separate, contained or vented) 2) Grapefruit 3) Grapes 4) Oranges 5) Pears 6) Carrots 7) Cauliflower 8) Celery 9) Jerusalem artichoke 10) Kale 11) Kohlrabi 12) Potatoes (separate) 13) Cabbage, Chinese (separate, outgasses)

Cold and very moist storage: 32 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit 90 to 95 percent relative humidity 1) Beets 2) Brussels Sprouts 3) Peppers, hot 4) Parsnips 5) Radish, winter 6) Rutabaga 7) Turnip 8) Peas (airtight container) 9) Popcorn (airtight container) 10) Cabbage (outgasses)

Cool and dry storage: 32 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit 60 to 70 percent relative humidity 1) Beans 2) Garlic (outgasses) 3) Onions (outgasses)

Warm and dry storage: 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit 60 to 75 percent relative humidity 1) Pumpkin 2) Squash, winter

Warm and moist storage: >50 degrees Fahrenheit 80 to 90 percent relative humidity 1) Potatoes, sweet 2) Tomatoes

Many other foods besides fresh foods, can often be stored in the area of a root cellar that have the appropriate temperature and humidity levels. Home canned foods, cured/smoked meats such as hams, bacon, and sausages are a few of them. But these all need low humidity with low temperatures. Do not store them in the areas with the higher humidity required by many of the other items normally kept in a root cellar.

If more space is needed, and one has the means, a large root cellar can be constructed in the same manner as the ice house below. It can be divided into different Temperature/Humidity areas suitable for specific foods. Be sure to include root cellar appropriate ventilation systems, as well as temperature and humidity monitoring instruments.

In addition to a typical root cellar, if you or a group is doing fairly large-scale food production and storage, then having purpose built heavily insulated storage sheds for specific conditions might be warranted. Such as: 1) Food storage shed insulated & equipped for cool, dark, dry storage 2) Food storage shed insulated & equipped for cool, dark, moist storage 3) Food storage shed insulated & equipped for warm, dark, dry storage 4) Food storage shed insulated & equipped for warm, dark, moist storage 5) Food storage shed insulated & equipped for chilled food & dairy storage 6) Food storage shed insulated & equipped for smoked & dried food storage 7) Food storage shed insulated & equipped for bulk food grain storage

A search on the internet will turn up a multitude of root cellar alternatives and information. Root Cellaring by Mike and Nancy Bubel is a very good reference.

For those that cannot dig-in a root cellar, here are some ideas that I developed for an ice house that will work very well for building an above-ground root cellar.

My thoughts on an Ice House and similar items.

If I was going to make a modern ice house I would build it with a "quad" wall and roof.

An outer layer of filled blocks or concrete. 6" to 12" of high R-factor foam board, three feet of earth fill, and another layer of filled blocks or concrete. Make the roof the same with poured concrete or timbers.

Inside have slatted wood shelves, spaced an inch or more from the wall to allow for full air circulation, for the ice blocks to rest on, with curtains of some type to isolate a section of storage, but maintain air circulation as needed to keep each section the temperature required. Add collection trays underneath to catch any melt.

At least one set of small, heavily insulated doors with an airlock the thickness of the wall between them for the entrance. Preferably with a third insulated door to create a double airlock. This outer airlock can hold the cold weather gear that will be needed if working in the ice house for more than a few seconds, and the inner lock with then protect against the loss of cold air.

I would also use some type of slightly tapered rubber or heavy plastic container, (or even silicone sealed wood) to make blocks of ice of a size easy to handle. Fill the containers whenever it is below freezing, set them on racks outside the ice house, and then unmold the ice blocks and stack them in the ice house, ready for use.

It would take a bit of time, at least several days of subfreezing weather, to generate enough ice that could be collected from a frozen river or pond in just one day of collection. But using fresh water from the tap, the ice would be suitable for food use where the river or pond ice likely would be contaminated.

It would also take some time initially to cool the earth and block inner walls to near freezing, but once it was done, the large mass would help hold the cold.

And the ice house could have cooling coils added to the ceiling and even the walls with a compressor unit piped outside to use during normal times when power was available to keep the ice hard frozen for use when there was no power.

And from my dream Prepper Estate list:

Ice house w/ Concrete block/insulation/earth/block quad wall construction Concrete slab /insulation/earth/slab quad ceiling construction Wood slat/drained concrete slab/earth/insulation quad floor construction Dual door air lock entry w/ each door w/hanging strip air barriers racks w/cold suits, gloves & over boots Interior storage area w/ice block racks & shelves Interior ice handling/work area w/ bench ice tongs ice picks ice buckets & pans ice block moving hand-trucks/dollies for internal use ice block moving insulated dolly for external use Exterior concrete slab w/ awning/roof freeze proof water source faucet ice block freezing molds ice block mold holding racks un-molding bench storage locker w/ ice tongs insulated rubber gloves ice picks rubber un-molding mallets ice block moving hand-trucks/dolly

By using the same building techniques, you can also make a food chilling/cold storage shed and a food freezing/ice making shed.

Food chilling/cold storage shed w/same construction as ice house ceiling ice rack system ceiling chilled air system air inlets low wall chilled air system air return vents ceiling & wall brine system chiller tubing ceiling & wall conventional cooling coils hanging meat hook racks storage shelves & racks exterior shed w/ cold weather chilled air system fan assembly w/air filter cold weather chilled air system wind turbine w/air filter brine system pump & storage tank brine system cooling tower conventional refrigeration pump & condenser

Food freezing/food storage/ice making shed w/same construction as ice house ceiling & wall brine system chiller tubing ceiling & wall conventional freezing coils hanging meat hook racks storage shelves & racks ice block making area w/ freeze proof water source faucet ice block freezing molds ice block mold holding racks un-molding bench storage locker w/ ice tongs insulated rubber gloves ice picks rubber un-molding mallets ice block moving hand-trucks/dolly exterior shed w/ brine system pump & storage tank brine system cooling tower conventional refrigeration pump & condenser

Some of the and supplies that might be needed for the preparation and long- term storage of foods:

Curing/smoking/drying shed w/ Meat curing/smoking rooms w/hooks, racks & shelves Work area w/meat curing/smoking equipment & supplies Work area w/meat, fruit & vegetable drying equipment & supplies Solar heated air-drying boxes w/racks Solar heated air dehydrators w/racks External area w/sun drying racks

Honey processing tools & equipment Milk processing tools & equipment Meat processing tools & equipment Fruit, berry & vegetable processing tools & equipment Herb, & medicine processing tools & equipment Cheese making tools & equipment Grain processing tools & equipment Canning & freezing tools & equipment Pickling, salting, fermenting, & brining tools & equipment Beer/wine/alcohol making equipment

Food Tools & equipment (partial listing) honey separator milk/cream separator milk pasteurizer butter churn fermenting tanks, crocks & bottles mesh/net drying bags pickling crocks & barrels salting crocks & barrels brining crocks & barrels oil/juice press butter press cheese press meat grinder/sausage stuffer dry grain stone mill oily grain/bean steel /pepper/spice mill pressure canner fat/lard rendering tubs Record/data books w/pen ID tags/labels set of cooking pots & kettles (, copper & glass) mixing bowls (stainless steel, copper & glass) measuring spoons & cups (stainless steel, copper & glass) mixing spoons & (stainless steel, copper, wood, & plastic) transferring spoons, dippers & spatulas (SS, copper, wood, & plastic) knives cutting board holding bowls (stainless steel, copper, wood & glass) plastic gloves dust masks mesh screen/sifter non-metallic sifting collection plate non-ferrous needle (large darning needle) non-ferrous tweezers small dusting brush mortar & pestal plastic transfer scoops & spoons ID tags/labels & pen glass canning jars w/lids glass storage bottles/jars (clear & opaque brown) glass jar lids (clear & opaque brown) w/rubber gaskets plastic jar lids wax lid liners (for long term storage)(may substitute plastic wrap) glass, cork & rubber bottle stoppers Zip-lock bags string w/threading needle ceramic bowls w/lids ceramic storage crocks w/lids wooden bowls/boxes w/lids wooden & stainless steel kegs, casks & barrels wooden & stainless steel keg, cask & barrel taps mesh/net storage bags fabric drawstring storage bags storage chests, baskets & buckets

Now some thoughts insuring a long-term food supply that is sustainable and helps provide the means for a higher level of food self-sufficiency.

There are three ways to keep yourself and family or group fed long term.

1) Keep meat on the hoof and grow fruits and vegetables year round in green houses.

2) Eat only foods that keep long term simply by storing them under the correct conditions. Usually cool, dry, and dark. (Honey, salt, sugar, wheat & a few other grains, dried corn, lentils, dried beans & peas, hard tack, baking soda, instant coffee/tea/cocoa, non-carbonated soft drinks, hard candies, white rice, bouillon products, powdered milk)

3) Prepare foods that do not keep long term simply with correct storage in ways that will preserve them long term.

The first two options can be very difficult to do. Though elements of both are part of a good food plan. Grow/raise your own and store the naturally long lasting ones. But by using various techniques appropriate for a given food, most can be kept much longer than they will just sitting out in the open on your counter.

The more modern methods of freezing and home canning most of us know about and either have used those methods, or know how to do them. I will not go into much detail about them. The information is readily available. The same goes for the new home Freeze Driers. I will not go into much detail about them, as I do not have any experience with them. Yet.

But some of the less modern, though still applicable, methods are well suited to some foods, and in some cases actually enhance the taste of the food. Like bacon bacon bacon bacon bacon bacon bacon bacon bacon bacon bacon….

Here is a list of several of them: 1) Dehydrating/drying 2) Jerking (a form of drying, primarily meats) 3) Pickling 4) Brining 5) Salting 6) Sugaring 7) Spice/Herb/Chemical curing 8) Smoking 9) Fermentation (not just alcohols, also cheese 10) Root cellaring 11) Spring house storage 12) Ice house storage 13) Deep lake/river storage (deep water is cold) 14) Evaporative cooler box (screen box draped with wet cloth) 15) Zeer pot cooler (A large porous clay pot with another, smaller one inside, surrounded with wet sand.) 16) Leaving un-harvested (some foods are just fine for quite a while still on the plant) 17) Mulching in place 18) Mulching in storage 19) Potting/confit (usually fatty fowl or pork - storing meats in crocks in fat to totally cover the meat) 20) Jellying/Gelatining (like potting, but using a gelatin base product) 21) Oiling (similar to potting, but immersing the food in a stable oil) 22) Coating (coating foods with a substance that protects them from air, insects, and pathogens) 23) Honeying (storing fruits, some meats, and a few other things, in honey) 24) Candying (usually immersing or boiling some nuts and fruits in a hot sugar or honey syrup and then allowing them to dry) 25) Clamping (storing root vegetables on a bed of straw, covering them with more straw, and then covering the mound with dry earth)

I am sure there are others of which I am not aware. If anyone knows of any, please post them.

Use of some types of the methods have become almost a separate method. Making jerky is a drying process, sometimes with a smoking step. And making pemmican, which stores a very long time is simply an assembly process of very dry jerky and rendered suet. (sometimes with berries). But both are often considered separate types of foods on their own, with little thought to how they were made.

Although few people consider fruitcake a prepper food, much less a long term storage food, the right kind can be. And be a very good one. Quality fruitcakes, made with a high percentage of fruit and nuts, and cured with a quality alcohol, such as a good rum or cognac, and then wrapped in waxed paper and put in a sealed tin will last for many years, and still be moist and tasty when consumed. Yes, cheap fruitcake can be inedible and used as a door stop after being around for a while, but those fruitcakes are not what I am talking about. Grandma's Old fashioned fruitcake is one of the ones produced commercially that fits the bill, though they can certainly be made at home and preserved just as well.

Dried corn, (note the word dried), when turned into parched corn is another product that has simply had its form changed. And the parched corn can be ground into pinole, which is another form change.

Erbswurst is a dried ham or bacon and pea soup that has served some European armies well as a long storing ration.

Tea, pressed into bricks, can last a very long time. Some even longer if exposed to smoke. Russian Caravan Tea evolved when the chests of teas being transported from Asia to Europe were repeatedly exposed to the smoke from the fires of the caravans

Of course, green coffee beans, if canned, will last long time. But so will well sealed containers of coffee that has been freezed dried into crystals, although that is not an easy home process.

Some preservation methods include a required container. Others, however, will need to be stored in something other than basic boxes or totes to keep them in good condition long term. There are several options, some better for a few things, others for different things. Some are more expensive than others, but are often well worth the extra expense, as they can extend the shelf life of the food in addition to the natural shelf life of the processing.

Here are a few of them: 1) Vacuum sealing in plastic or Mylar bags 2) Vacuum sealing in glass canning jars 3) Heavy duty freezer grade Ziploc bags 4) Dry packed in sealed glass canning jars with the addition of either desiccant packets or O2 absorbent packets, depending on the food 5) Dry pack canned in metal cans sealed with a mechanical lid sealer, with or without desiccant packets or O2 absorbent packets 6) In hanging mesh bags of fine, medium, or wide mesh 7) In ventilated crates that can be stacked 8) In totes with air tight sealing lids 9) Hung after threaded on twine 10) Wrapped in muslin or cheese cloth 11) Hung on hooks from a rack

While some people recommend storing various foods in sealed Mylar bags with O2 absorbent packets, I do not recommend this. I have always been somewhat reluctant to use the method, and recent tests have shown that it is often not nearly as effective for long term storage of foods as was once believed.

There is nothing wrong with sealing foods this way, and keeping them in buckets, if the food is otherwise an LTS food on its own, and the Mylar and bucket is simply additional protective packaging, not intended to lengthen the shelf life of the food.

Most of the above methods of containerizing the foods should also be placed in some type of container to protect them. This is especially true of the plastic bags, Mylar bags, Ziploc bags, and glass jars. The metal cans will store adequately individually, but it is often easier to keep them sorted and stored in cardboard boxes or similar sized totes, just for convenience and easier handling.

For long-term food self-sufficiency, you really need a homestead or farm where you can grow your own. That might not be possible at the moment, but keep striving to get to that point. If the worst happens, you will only have what you produce yourself to eat, with only a chance of acquiring things from other preppers.

Much of the food you will be producing will need one type of processing or another, often just to get it ready to store. Below are my ideas of what I call a Harvest . It is designed as an outdoor kitchen set up specifically to make processing many types of fresh food from different sources in ways most appropriate for that food and available storage methods.

It would be a roofed area, with a raised concrete floor for easy cleaning. Comfort mats would be on the floor to protect peoples’ feet from the hard surface. They can be cleaned easily.

My design also includes provisions to enclose the area with screen panels when needed, as well as insulated panels for use in extreme weather. This particular list also includes provisions for using the area as an outdoor BBQ and entertainment area, as well.

Remember that this is from my Dream Prepper Estate & Home. Everything is high end, though not necessarily luxurious as in gold faucets and imported Italian marble. Many of the details for specific items can be adjusted to a more reasonable budget than the one in my mind when I came up with this.

As it is (still) a work in progress, there are some duplications, as well as multiple items of the same type listed for reference.

The Outdoor Entertaining Kitchen (roofed, with screen and window panels to enclose in inclement weather) Paper towel tip open Main gas grill w/IR-Searing burner Charcoal grill EVO griddle Wok burner 24" surface burner Lobster pot/canning burner(s) Gas pizza Wood pizza oven Deep fat fryer Smoker wood Drink cooler Refrigerator Drink station Beer kegerator Sink Ice maker Dishwasher Paper towel drawer Waste receptacle door w/drop Lighting Heaters Misting fans Fireplace Fire pit Cabinets Charcoal storage bin Wood storage bin

The Harvest Prep Kitchen (roofed, with screen and window panels to enclose in inclement weather)

Storage racks, shelves, & cabinets 268 cuft walk-in meat cooler Harvest Right (6#-10#/1.5-2 #10 cans) large microwave size freeze home freeze dryer Viking 48" range top 4 burner, IR Grill, griddle Viking 24" Wok/cooker/canning burner Viking 30" gas oven Viking 30" warming drawers w/pan sets Frigo custom copper skins Viking 60" range hood internals Viking 10" duct 1,200 cfm range hood in line vent fan w/duct silencer Waterstone Towson 22" pot filler single lever deck mount faucet polished copper Viking 24" dishwasher Frigo custom copper skins Viking 15" trash compactor Frigo custom copper skins Viking 15" ice maker with pump drain Frigo custom copper skins Circle City Copperworks smooth copper 42"x22"x10" double sink w/1" drop divider Circle City Copperworks smooth copper countertop w/integral sink and double drain boards Waterstone Towson 18" spout gantry kitchen sink faucet polished copper Waterstone Towson soap/lotion dispenser polished copper Remote copper finish kitchen sink strainer Waterstone undercounter leak detector Circle City Copperworks smooth copper back splashes Circle City Copperworks smooth copper integrated 30"x16"x10" 3 1/2" drain single bowl sink Waterstone Towson 18" spout gantry kitchen sink faucet polished copper Circle City Copperworks polished copper disposal sink strainer Insinkerator Evolution Excel 1hp disposal Waterstone Towon disposal air switch polished copper Circle City Copperworks smooth copper back splashes Circle City Copperworks polished intigrated 5" round copper cup sink Circle City Copperworks polished copper 2" drain Waterstone Towson filtration H/C single lever faucet polished copper Everpure Solaria 100 cup 190° hot water dispenser Everpure Exubera chilled/ambiant/chilled carbonated water dispenser Everpure VP-100-QC undercounter purifier Everpure V-500 purifier cartridge Waterstone undercounter leak detector Waterstone undercounter pressure regulator Circle City Copperworks smooth copper back splashes All American Pressure Canner Model 941 41.5 qt Set of canning tools Canning accessories Ball regular lids in cases of 60 boxes of 12 each Ball wide mouth lids in cases of 36 boxes of 12 each Ball regular rings w/lids in cases of 24 boxes of 12 each Ball wide mouth rings w/lids in cases of 12 boxes of 12 each Tattler regular reusable lids w/rubber rings in boxes of 36 Tattler regular reusable rubber rings in boxes of 12 Tattler wide mouth reusable lids w/rubber rings in boxes of 36 Tattler wide mouth reusable rubber rings in boxes of 12 4 Ever Recap regular reusable lids w/silicone rings in boxes of 500 4 Ever Recap wide mouth reusable lids with silicone rings in boxes of 500 Ball one half pint regular jars in cases of 12 Kerr one half pint widemouth jars in cases of 12 Ball one pint regular jars in cases of 12 Ball one pint widemouth jars in cases of 12 Ball one quart regular jars in cases of 12 Ball one quart widemouth jars in cases of 12 Ball one half gallon widemouth jars in cases of 12 Ball 4 ounce quilted jelly jars in cases of 12 Ball 8 ounce quilted jelly jars in cases of 12 Ball 12 ounce quilted jelly jars in cases of 12 24" impulse mylar bag sealer 6" Optimum Hot Jaw 6" x 0.5" heat sealer 6" x 9/16" hot jaw foot operated heat sealer 6-gallon 5 mil mylar bags 20x30 6-gallon 5 mil mylar bags 26x36 6-gallon bucket w/lid 6-gallon bucket w/o lid Gamma seal bucket lid 500cc oxy absorber 100cc oxy absorber 300cc oxy absorber 2000cc oxy absorber Set of pots and pans Meat grinder Meat mixer attachment for grinder Jerky meat slicer attachment for grinder Ground meat patty maker attachment for grinder Meat smoker 350-pound wood/charcoal smoker Pro Smoker 200# electric smoker smoker accessories Sausage stuffer w/motor Ground meat jerky gun Cabela's CG-15 15" bag sealer ARY vacuum chamber sealer VP321C 2x17" seal bars ARY vacuum chamber sealer VP215C 1x10" seal bar 4-mill small vacuum chamber bags (in 1,000 ct) 4-mill medium vacuum chamber bags (in 1,000ct_ 4-mill large vacuum chamber bags (in 1,000 ct) 20'x8" bulk bag material 20'x11.5" bulk bag material 20'x15" bulk bag material Dehydrator Cabela's 56 square foot commercial dehydrator Excaliber 50 square foot commercial dehydrator Excaliber 148 square foot commercial dehydrator dehydrator accessories All American Senior Elec #9000 can sealer for #10, #12, & #3 cans All American #9000 conversion parts for #2 1/2 cans All American #9000 replacement parts #7502 All American Canner Senior flywheel can sealer for #10, #12, & #3 All American Canner Conversion parts for 2 1/2 cans for 7502 can sealer All American Canner 7502 replacement parts Empty #10 cans w/lids (case of 48) Empty #10 cans w/lids In cases of 476 #P045 #10 can 603x700 Empty #10 cans w/lids In cases of 45 #3106 #10 can 603x700 #10 can plastic lid In cases of 600 #2 1/2 can plastic lid In cases of 1776 #2 can plastic lid In cases of 1500 #2 1/2 safe rim pull top lid In cases of 300 Empty #12 cans 603x812 (6 3/16" x 8 12/16") In cases of Empty #3 cans In cases of 120 #3133 #3 can 404x414 Empty # 2 1/2 cans In cases of 144 #3129 #2 1/2 can 401x411 Empty #2 cans In cases of 196 #3118 #2 can 307x409 Commercial side cut can opener milk processing equipment butter churn, cream separator, butter press, pasteurizer, yogurt maker, cheese vat, cheese press pickling, fermenting, salting, brining tools & equipment mushroom growing greenhouse Wine making equipment Beer making equipment Mead making equipment Liquor making equipment Soda making equipment Vinegar making equipment whiskey still & equipment essential oils still & equipment distilled water making still & equipment honey & wax processing equipment Outside butchering/game preparation/non-food preparation patio Stainless steel cabinets Stainless steel counter Hanging racks Stainless steel pans, buckets, and tubs Caldron burner/stand Rendering caldron Soap making caldron soap making equipment

As back up units there would be a set of alternative fuel appliances ready to be set up to use wood, coal, waste oil, propane, kerosene, diesel, biodiesel, wood gas, and similar fuels. Stoves and outside furnaces with water coils to produce hot water for the outdoor systems.

The following lists are from another of my dream lists. The Dream Prepper Estate List, which would be the property where the Dream Prepper Home would be. All the same caveats apply. (These are just (primarily) lists pertaining to long term food sustainability. (Again, quite a bit of duplication, within the list and with the previous lists.)

Butchering shed w/butchering & cleaning tools & equipment rubber boots rubber gloves rubber apron breathing masks hoisting A-frame animal hoist w/leg spreader bar & tendon hooks stunning/concussing hammer throat knife scaling knife skinning knives skinning pliers skinning pincers gutting knives boning knives filleting knives splitting axe splitting chisel & hammer bone saw sharpening files, stones, & steels compressed air connection & alternate foot pump cutting block/board & stand rinsing tubs, buckets & pans blooding/gutting collection tubs meat, fat, & organ collection tubs, pails & pans hide collection tubs waste collection tubs

Attached wild animal harvesting/pest control supplies shed/covered area pest decoys, lures, traps, repellers & accessories small game & fur bearer decoys, lures, traps, repellers & accessories bird & water fowl decoys, lures, traps, repellers & accessories rough fish harvesting trotlines, lures, traps & nets & accessories fowl plucking rack w/swivel hanging hooks mechanical fowl plucker fish scaling/skinning board w/holding clamp mechanical fish scaler small game skinning rack/frame pelt stretchers

Outside rough/bulk food processing area w/ Open & covered work & storage areas Cleaning, hulling, shelling, & winnowing tools, equipment & supplies Temporary holding bins & containers Waste holding bins, containers & drains Transfer baskets, buckets & tubs

Storage areas for Garden seed, equipment & supplies non-hybrid seeds soil turning spade utility shovels soil rake planting hoe cultivating hoe planting dibble short handled digging trowel short handled cultivating rake row marking stakes & string tuber harvesting fork corn husking pin pitch fork scythe & wooden fork (to cut & handle hay) harvesting knives harvesting striking stick harvesting sickle (grains - wheat & rye) seft & wooden mat hook (grains - wheat & rye - hold straw with mat hook) grain cradle (scythes with light wooden racks to catch the cut straw) (for small grains) thrashing flails gathering baskets, buckets, boxes & bags w/shoulder slings or belts wheel barrow garden wagon garden cart hand pump pressure sprayer hand pump spray cans irrigation ditch control gates pest control devices (scarecrows, spinners, traps, decoys) scythe hammer & anvil to straighten nicks, whetstone to sharpen blades

Mulch & compost tools & equipment mulcher/shredder mulch storage bins compost rotation/turn-over bins compost storage bins

Orchard & vineyard equipment grafting knife pruning sheers pruning knife pruning saw step ladder extension ladder pick knives & tools pick baskets & buckets storage baskets & boxes

Beekeeping equipment & supplies helmet mesh veil beekeeper's suit beekeeper's gloves bee medications/treatments Nosema disease remedy Moth larvae insecticide (non-toxic) Foulbrood treatment hives materials cover inner covers escape boards excluders supers (for brooding, chunk honey, extractable honey, box comb honey) internal board feeder foundation frames (for brooding, chunk honey, extractable honey) section box holders, separators, boxes & spreader (for box comb honey) foundations (brooding, chunk honey, extractable honey, box comb honey) pollen trap queen/drone trap bottom board stand scale/base hive tools spur wire embedder steel frame wire pry-bar/ uncapping knife bee brush capping scratcher frame grip smoker clean hand sprayer 1:1 sugar syrup Vanilla external feeders honey extractors honey storage barrels, casks, boxes, & jars

Wild wood/meadow/marsh/stream/field plant, rock & mineral foraging/gathering tools & equipment Useful-plant/rock/mineral handbooks & references Map marked w/known sources of useful plants, rocks & minerals plant ID guide books tree ID guide books rock & mineral ID guide books rock & mineral comparison samples pen, pad, & location maps harvest apron (bottom folds up and ties off at several heights) collection bag ID tags/labels Zip-lock collection bags cotton drawstring collection bags string w/threading needle safety glasses plastic gloves rubber gloves leather gloves dust filter mask rubber boots/hip waders/chest waders field knife folding saw folding shovel pry bar/scraper short handled digging trowel short handled rake harvesting knives harvesting sickle harvesting striking stick hatchet saw shovel tuber fork nut harvester pole fruit harvester pole garden rake leaf rake scythe & wooden fork (to cut & handle hay) harvesting sickle (grains - wheat & rye) wheel barrow/garden cart scythe hammer & anvil to straighten nicks, whetstone to sharpen blades rock hammer rock pick rock chisels 2x - 10x magnifying glass mineral test kit case 2 glass eyedroppers vial of nitric acid vial of hydrochloric acid set of porcelain tile streak plates hardness tester gathering baskets, buckets, boxes & bags

Wild wood/meadow/marsh/stream/field plant, rock & mineral foraging/gathering tools & equipment Herbal & Mineral remedy hand books & references Map marked w/known sources of useful plants and rock & mineral deposits Herb garden Mineral & rock garden Collection equipment plant ID guide books tree ID guide books mineral & rock ID guide books mineral & rock comparison samples pen, pad, & location maps collection bag ID tags/labels Zip-lock collection bags gathering baskets, buckets, boxes & bags cotton drawstring collection bags string w/threading needle safety glasses plastic gloves leather gloves dust filter mask field knife folding saw folding shovel rock hammer rock pick rock chisels pry bar/scraper short handled digging trowel short handled rake harvesting knives harvesting sickle harvesting striking stick hatchet saw shovel tuber fork nut harvester pole fruit harvester pole garden rake leaf rake scythe & wooden fork (to cut & handle hay) harvesting sickle (grains - wheat & rye) wheel barrow/garden cart scythe hammer & anvil to straighten nicks, whetstone to sharpen blades mortar & pestal non-metallic transfer spoons 2x - 10x magnifying glass mineral test kit case 2 glass eyedroppers vial of nitric acid vial of hydrochloric acid set of porcelain tile streak plates hardness tester

Component preparation equipment cutting board juice press oil press coffee/herb grinder mineral grinder/ball mill essential oils still distilled water still holding bowls (stainless, glass, wood, plastic) plastic gloves dust masks knives wood rasp small saw hammer/hatchet mesh/net drying bags chisel wire brush canvas mineral crushing bag 3# - 5# mineral crushing sledge concrete or steel crushing base mesh screen/sifters nonmetallic sifting collection plate non-ferrous needle (large darning needle) non-ferrous tweezers small dusting brush heavy duty mortar & pestle stainless steel/plastic transfer scoops & spoons

Component storage equipment opaque storage cabinet in dry & cool (but non-freezing) area of residence ID tags/labels & pen glass bottles/jars (clear & opaque brown) glass jar lids (clear & opaque brown) w/rubber gaskets plastic jar lids wax lid liners (for long term storage)(may substitute plastic wrap) glass bottle stoppers rubber bottle stoppers Zip-lock bags cotton drawstring storage bags net/mesh storage bags string w/threading needle ceramic bowls w/lids wooden bowls/boxes w/lids

Remedy formulation equipment Record/data book w/pen ID tags/labels fresh water (distilled) to make infusions, teas, & pastes vegetable shortening or lard to make ointments & salves Beeswax to make salves (also has medicinal properties) vegetable oil to make plasters dry clay dust to make plasters gentle oil to make lotions pure grain alcohol to make extracts rosemary oleoresin (used as a preservative) Aloe (Aloe vera) gel, for creams Apricot (Prunus armeniaca), almond (Prunus dulcis), and grape (Vitis vinifera) seed oils, for facial creams Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) butter, for infused oils and creams Coconut (Cocos nucifera) oil, for infused oils and creams Honey, for syrups Lanolin, for creams Natural beeswax, for ointments Olive (Olea europaea) oil, for infused oils and ointments Sesame (Sesamum indicum) oil, for infused oils capsule fillers empty gelatin capsules empty vegetable capsules scales herb/coffee grinder mortar & pestal small set of cooking pots (stainless steel & glass) mixing bowls & beakers (stainless, ceramic & glass) measuring spoons & cups (stainless, glass, wood, plastic) mixing spoons & spatulas (stainless, wood, plastic) transferring funnels, pouring devices, spoons & spatulas (stainless, wood, plastic) filters & strainers (paper, stainless) thermometers cheese cloth/muslin

Remedy storage equipment opaque storage cabinet in dry & cool (but non-freezing) area of residence ID tags/labels & pen glass bottles/jars (clear & opaque brown) glass jar lids (clear & opaque brown) w/rubber gaskets plastic jar lids wax lid liners (for long term storage)(may substitute plastic wrap) glass bottle stoppers rubber bottle stoppers glass bottles (clear & opaque brown) w/eye dropper tops ceramic bowls w/lids wooden bowls w/lids dusting socks w/storage boxes mesh/net storage bags cotton drawstring storage bags

Remedy use equipment patient record cards use, dosage & effectiveness record book w/pen eye droppers spreader spatulas (wood, plastic) dispensing/dosage measuring spoons & cups tea pots (nonmetallic) incense burner w/breathing hood/mask vaporizer tea kettle w/breathing hood/mask

Plant & animal non-food product processing shed w/ Covered outside work area w/ Sheep shearing station Animal treats Electric sheers for various types of wool/hair Manual sheers for various types of wool/hair Trimming scissors for ears, tail, etc. Animal cut treatments Sheering stands Sheering platforms Sheering tarps Area cleaning brooms Cleaning tubs (40+-gallon) Wool/hair cleaning solutions Wool/hair cleaning solutions residue remover (white vinegar) Cleaned wool drying screen tables Dry wool cloth storage bags Materials storage

Other animal product tools & equipment quill making tools & equipment beeswax melting pots beeswax foundations molds intestine/bladder washing tanks oil rendering pots oil storage barrels, casks & cans glue rendering pots glue storage pots

Attached partially enclosed shed w/ Drinking alcohol still Sugar & syrup production cooking troughs/pots Attached partially enclosed drying shed w/ Sugar drying pans Seawater/salt water drying pans (salt production)

I thought I would tie all of this together, as some of it is not only rambling, but also somewhat disjointed and out of context. My goal here was to not only give my thoughts on root cellars, but also some of the other things that go along with needing and using a root cellar.

The food needs to be produced, and processed before storage. So I included some things about that part of the process. Since some of the food may be from animals, and I do not believe in wasting any part, I included some of the non-food material.

There is a good probability that foraging will occur as some point, and many will likely be growing plants useful for medical and other needs, and foraging for them, too. Thus the wildwoods lists giving information and ideas on finding, gathering, transporting, storing, processing, storing, preparing, storing, and using a variety of products that can be made from what is grown and found.

These lists have been extracted from much longer lists that include information that can help understand the included lists, and put them into context. Anyone that would like to have a copy of the full lists, just let me know and I will send them to you.

Remember, this is all just my opinion. DO YOUR OWN DUE DILIGENCE RESEARCH.