Storage Hacks
Facilities and Techniques Access
Back in the day when there was no refrigeration, and moving around was not the norm, people would have been making serious plans, and building full abodes for all types of storage. The barn is an easy one to remember, but has too many people in our day heard of root cellars, dugout sheds, and bottling cupboards? These things were essential so that in those times when growing, getting, or catching certain food or life-sustaining items were scarce, that you had them as the need arose.
STORING THE RIGHT STUFF IN THE CORRECT PLACE
In modern times we are a bit less stationary as we were, and that we can use a fridge or a freezer to be able to keep the things we find delicious in the summer around for the winter. As we look to gain systems to be able to grow year-round, we need to see that we are storing them the right way for the long haul if needed. That is what you will find here, the ideas, details, and examples of doing just that.
Storage Details
In times past, there was a real need to have places to put those things that you were saving, preserving, or housing for not only today, but for the next few seasons. Storage was a real need and accommodating that was present in even the smallest of homes and gardens. The world today, only think of storage as that you can rent a space for the excess you can’t fit in where you live. We want to change that!
Having those spaces that can have the ability for temperature control for our grandparents was essential for those things you needed to keep cool year round. Root cellars weren’t just a place to keep food, it was a place to have the food last longer without the electronic appliances. Have you ever wondered how they had ice in the summer months WITHOUT and modern refrigeration? This knowledge and application is what we want to bring back into the forefront of the general public’s consciousness. This also can be applied to those non-food items that need that temp control capabilities.
Moisture in the past (as it is as well now) was a killer of many of the things you wanted to keep in storage. Moisture and storage often didn’t bide well. Mold and other fungi can contaminate and ruin the best of products. To have a place that you were worry-free about water-related was the peace of mind most wanted.
With our building practices in modern times, this becomes a bit more accessible for everyone. We want to be able to meld the two eras of methods and practices together.
For those items in the old days that needed to have a consistent heat (50 degrees or higher) was a feat in and of itself. You had to be running a fire in a stove nearly 24/7. Modern conveniences have been a benefit in this regard. The current insulation quality levels have been able to achieve this state of storage without a lot of extra effort. Out-buildings are a bit more varied in this, but still much more attainable today than in the past. We still want to bring the practices from yesteryear to the forefront as well.
In most facets of production, whether they be crops or otherwise, a certain percentage of loss of the total volume has to be figured in. In times past, that was usually due to vermin (mice, rats, snakes, raccoons, etc.) barging in and taking their fill. The methods of keeping your storage space vermin free was a continuous battle with those animals finding a way in.
Presently, those vermin, for the most part, aren’t much of a problem. However, they still can plague us, and often with older or less frequented buildings a problem to take care of. We look to the past to find out how they did things beyond sending them to the grave with a butt filled with buckshot.
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