Investing in a root cellar is a great way to preserve your produce and ensure your food security.
That's the message Horse Lake Community Farm Co-Op is looking to promote this summer as it prepares to replace its own root cellar. Rob Diether, the chairperson of the co-op, said this work is being undertaken after their previous cellar, first built 25 years ago by the Community Enhancement and Economic Development Society, has begun to deteriorate.
"At the farm, for years, we've grown a fairly large garden, including potatoes, and we need a root cellar to preserve and keep these vegetables over the course of the winter," Diether explained. "It's really a valuable part of food security, having the ability to save food over winter. The root cellar is an ancient method, really, of preserving vegetable crops. It's a structure built right into the ground and normally buried with soil."
The current root cellar predates the farm co-op by several years, with Diether noting it was built using reclaimed logs by Wayne Ottie of the Tsq̓éscen̓ First Nation in 2000, six years before the co-op was incorporated to preserve the farmland for the entire South Cariboo community. Over the last 25 years, the root cellar has been where the co-op stores most of its fresh produce, including the Cariboo potatoes the farm is known for. However, Diether said the wooden logs have begun to rot, so the co-op determined this summer they needed to replace the old structure.
To fund this project, Diether and the other co-op members applied for a grant from United Way British Columbia. Diether noted they've applied a few times in the past, but this year they were lucky enough to secure a grant for up to $20,000 from the United Way of B.C.'s Climate Resilient Communities Food Infrastructure Grant.
"Most of that, 70 per cent of the grant, will be used for materials. We've done some work already, we've cleared a few trees that were in the way and then we will begin excavating the site, and we will be in this case renting an excavator," Diether explained. "One of our co-op members will be running the machine."
Rather than just replace the old cellar, Diether said they plan to expand and relocate it. The new cellar will be larger, at 16 by 24 feet, with a cement foundation and four-foot-tall cement walls, with the rest of the structure made from salvaged timbers sourced from the property. Diether noted they'll also be building it further up the hill from the old cellar, whose location during the winter meant they had to haul food out of it by hand. Its new location will be more accessible by vehicle.
"We should be able to drive and back right up to the cellar in order to get produce during the winter," Diether explained.
Diether noted that with the increased square footage, the co-op will be able to grow and store more food, but also potentially store food on behalf of local community members without a root cellar. As the co-op is meant to benefit the community, he would welcome other growers in the area reaching out if they need to store their vegetables.
To that end, Diether noted they appreciate any financial contributions any individual would like to make to the project. He also said most of the labour to complete the root cellar will be done by members of the co-op.
"The construction will be managed by a fellow by the name of Ludwig Leucke. He's a retired log builder and carpenter, so he has volunteered to help out on the project," Diether said. "Most of the labour will be volunteer labour and we'll always be looking for anybody who would like to come out and perhaps learn a little bit about root cellar construction; they could come out and give us a hand."
Diether said the co-op plans to host an event during the construction to invite the public to come watch and learn more about root cellars. He is hopeful they'll be able to encourage other people in the South Cariboo who farm or garden to consider building their own root cellars.
"We'd like to see root cellars everywhere. It gives them some secure storage for their own vegetables and the cellars can be used for things like canned preserves. For people interested in food sovereignty or self-sufficiency, a root cellar is really critical," Diether remarked. "We encourage anybody that is interested in the idea to consider this. They're certainly welcome to contact us and we'll provide as much information as we can."
Diether said they plan to begin construction by the second week of May and complete the project by the end of the summer, before the crops come in. Anyone looking to contact the Horse Lake Community Farm Co-Op can reach out to them via info@horselakefarmcoop.ca or talk to them at the South Cariboo Farmers' Market from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Friday at the 100 Mile House Community Hall.
