If you have a basement you could always build an insulated closet in a corner and add small vents to the outdoors for fresh air exchange

something like this:

http://ecorenovator.org/forum/renovations-new-construction/1250-my-basement-cold-closet-project.html

You will want to be at least 12 inches above high water line and you must insulate with 6-8 ft of soil surrounding the entire structure, the deeper the earth the better , it provides a moderating effect, to prevent freezing, you will want a closable vent to allow moisture control in the summer and to close in the winter to prevent freezing.

Best of luck

I've seen earthbag root cellars, which is bags filled with a dirt mixture, and then people cover them in cob which looks really nice. Try doing a google search for earthbag root cellar and see what comes up.

When my great great grandparents lived up in Baysville, they built for lack of a better word a cairn. They dug down as far as they could, made a rough wood frame, then piled stones around the frame. After that they packed "mud" into the stones. Not sure how many times they did they stone part but the last time a family member visited the old home stead the thing was still standing - it was about 100 years old in the early 1970s.

If I remember correctly, they do not have to add ice to it in the summer to keep it cool and it stayed above freezing in the winter. Toward the end of winter through they would add ice to turn it into a ice house for the summer.

Forgot to add - what Cares is talking about is an Earthship

If you have a basement you could always build an insulated closet in a corner and add small vents to the outdoors for fresh air exchange

something like this:

http://ecorenovator.org/forum/renovations-new-construction/1250-my-basement-cold-closet-project.html

I have something very similar in my basement but it has two methods of cooling and temperature control also. It works very well and I could not do without it. I wish it were bigger though.

Thanks BCPrepGirl, we are sold on the Earthbag Root Cellar! We are going to go with the Hobit look :ugeek: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Do-It-Yourself/Earthbag-Building-Garden-Shed.aspx
We will keep you guys posted, now we need to acquire sandbags.....I'm not sure why i didn't think of this before, and I never thought I would be filling sandbags at home after filling hundreds over the last 20+ years....especially just the two of us filling them 😯
We'll post our outcome if you folks are interested.
Cheers 😀

Great!! I've seen that write-up on Mother Earth and I think the Hobbit look is cute 🙂 I'd love to see your progress, and how it looks when you're done!

I would look locally for what materials are available to you.
If they're building roads and blasting rock there should be plenty of that. Mix cement and slap em together. Doesn't have to be pretty, you'll be insulating the heck out of it anyway.
If there's plenty of sand, then use that. Feed bags should do the trick for sandbags. Every farming area has plenty available.
If you mix one shovel of cement powder to 8 or 10 of sand and fill the bags with that (dry) it will harden eventually and be solid as a rock.

Remember ventilation: one pipe (like 2" ABS plumbing pipe) high and another pipe beside it BUT with a sump pump hose (or something) attached to it and going all the way to the bottom of your root cellar, preferably to the other side (for air flow). And DON'T forget the 'hardware cloth'/small steel screen at the opening to keep the mice/critters out! Oh, and I have a high water table that occasionally puts water in my root cellar........so I have a pallet down to put everything on. The moisture is actually welcome but not flooding! My root cellar actually drains into my sump pump pit, under the foundation via gravel-fed.
A great book is Root Cellaring by Bubel - all kinds of root cellars for all kinds of conditions and how to store foods.
Best of luck with your Root Cellar!

Mr W....
Did you get that back hoe yet? 😛
Mr Oops

Great pics. Good progress. Keep up the terrific work. FYI hate shovels lol, but beer for rehydrating is good. 😆

Looks amazing!
Great job, and thanks for sharing with us.

What a great job. I am so jealous.

Good job, bet you're glad that is done. In the middle of winter when you are eating fresh produce, you will remember why you went to all that work.

That looks amazing - I love the roof!!