Beyond the Root Cellar: The Market Gardener’s Guide to Growing and Storing Vegetables for Off-Season Sales and Food Security

Knapp, who runs Offbeet Farm in Fairbanks, Alaska, debuts with a comprehensive manual on how to harvest, process, and store beets, kale, potatoes, and several other hardy vegetables so they can be sold through the winter. For instance, he suggests picking cabbage heads before their leaves split, trimming their stems, and holding them in open containers to prevent mold. Noting that most produce should be stored in lightly ventilated bins kept near 32ºF, Knapp details how to build a root cellar, or underground storage space, for holding vegetables during cold weather, contending that foam insulation is essential and that concrete floors are ideal if one wants to use pallet jacks. Aimed largely at professional farmers, the in-depth guidance will ensure readers feel equipped to tackle each step of the storage process, and profiles of farms across the country provide insight into successful strategies for maintaining produce. For example, Knapp describes how Tipi Produce in Wisconsin relies on vegetables’ natural respiration to warm up their storage areas when temperatures drop below freezing. Thorough yet approachable, this delivers. (Dec.)