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Above ground root cellar ideas in very hot + very cold climate?

 
Posts: 10
Location: NE Oregon
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Yeah underground would be ideal but we have some unique challenges zoning wise that make digging on our farm land a huge obstacle.

We also live in NE Oregon which is high mountain desert. So in the summer 110+°F is common July-early Sept then -10°F - 35°F in the winter.

We can just hang meat in the winter until we smoke/freeze/can/cure but I'd really prefer the nutrition from stored fresh versus canned/frozen.

Just not so sure how feasible with our temp swings & not being able to dig?

Ideas? Examples? Failures? I wanna hear em!
 
pollinator
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Can you dig into a side hill?  If you can't dig, then you have to bury.  Temperature stability is achieved at about 10'.  That's an awful lot of dirt you have to pile onto the structure, but it can be done.
 
pollinator
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Do you have a crawl space or unfinished basement? I'm in southern Oregon, so my temperature swings aren't so extreme, but I found a little room under my house that I'm going to use for a root cellar.
 
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The two ideas listed above would be my first choices. If tbey are not suitable, I would start looking at some the the old ice house designs from the late 1800s and early 1900s.  
 
pollinator
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Location: Central Virginia, Zone 7.
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I would love a root cellar.  Isn't it true, that the temperature needs to be around 35-45 deg F?  I won't get that here in Virginia no matter how much I dig.  

Trace mentioned temperature stability, what if the stable temperature is 55F?  
 
gardener
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Our root cellar is about 55 deg all year long and so is my dads.  We hang hams, store potatoes, and all canned goods in it.  
 
Stacy Witscher
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My understanding is that canned goods shouldn't be stored in a root cellar because of the humidity. Root cellars should be high humidity and canned goods are better in low humidity so as to prevent or at least slow down rust. My plan is to have canned goods in the dryer part under my house and the root cellar area needs to be rodent proof and moister.
 
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