The Most Overlooked Way to Preserve Food for Months (No Freezer Needed) w/ Sam Knapp

Pioneering Today Podcast - Homesteading in a Modern World

Melissa K Norris

Cookingfromscratch, Oldfashionedliving, Selfsufficiency, Home & Garden, Gardening, Heirloomseeds, Homesteading, Growyourownfood, Education, Survival, Pioneeringtoday, Leisure, How To

4.9 • 931 Ratings

🗓️ 12 September 2025

⏱️ 44 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Think you need a traditional root cellar to keep your harvest fresh through the winter? Think again. In this episode of the Pioneering Today Podcast, Melissa K. Norris sits down with Sam Knapp of Off Beet Farm in Alaska to talk about practical, no-fuss ways to store root vegetables without a root cellar.

You’ll learn the three keys to long-lasting storage—temperature, humidity, and airflow—as well as simple methods like using a spare fridge, Rubbermaid totes, or packing in sand or shavings. Sam also shares which crops are the most forgiving, the best varieties for long-term storage, and how to troubleshoot common problems like shriveling and rodents.

Whether you’re a backyard gardener or growing a year’s supply of food, this episode will give you the confidence to keep carrots, beets, potatoes, and cabbages fresh for months.

For more information and any links mentioned in today’s podcast, visit https://melissaknorris.com/480

This podcast is sponsored by Azure Standard. For first-time Azure customers, you can get 15% off your first order of $100 or more by using coupon code "MELISSA15" at checkout: https://melissaknorris.com/azure-standard

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, pioneers. Welcome to episode number 480. This is an episode I have been looking forward to because it is one of the most overlooked forms of food preservation that was used historically and is still really easy to implement today.
0:23.6	In fact, it is one of my favorite forms of food preservation simply because when you get it right,
0:30.6	it requires such little work on my part and it truly does keep vegetables throughout the entire fall winter in spring.
0:40.3	And in some cases, it will keep it completely year round until the next year's harvest.
0:45.8	Now, if that's not something to get excited about, I don't know what is.
0:51.1	So today's guest is Sam Knapp. He is a farmer and author of Beyond the Root Cellar,
0:57.7	a practical guide for winter storage of vegetables. And Sam is from, well, I should say Sam is
1:05.5	farming in Fairbanks, Alaska. And so yes, you can can use root seller techniques even in long, cold, winter situations.
1:15.1	In fact, it can be really, really valuable if you do live in a northern country.
1:20.0	But we're going to be sharing tips.
1:21.5	There's elements that you can implement no matter where you are located.
1:26.3	Sam actually grew up in northern Wisconsin, and he now co-owned Offbeat Farm, which is a one-acre
1:32.2	vegetable farm that produces and stores more than 25,000 pounds of vegetables each winter
1:39.1	for Alaskan families.
1:41.9	He's also a plant ecologist with a master's degree and teaches farmer training
1:46.8	classes with the Fairbanks Soil and Water Conservation District. So it was to say, Sam knows a thing or two
1:53.2	about growing and storing food when the thermometer dips far below zero. So in today's conversation,
1:59.7	we're going to be talking about what it takes to grow,
2:02.2	harvest, and store crops to feed people throughout the winter months, some of the misconceptions,
2:07.5	some of the pitfalls that you want to avoid, but also why this is an incredible way. And I hope
2:13.4	you take advantage of it this fall with some of your crops and use this so that you have
2:19.2	food to feed your family all throughout the winter months. Now, speaking of feeding your family
	...

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