Would you want a root cellar?

[catherine]

So driving around the island today, DH brought up the topic of root cellars and thought that there might be an untapped business opportunity for a service that specializes in installing root cellars.

I asked him how big he thought the market might be. I pointed out that most people have refrigerators and large homes with no need for a place for overwintering potatoes and carrots and other vegetables.

So that took some of the air out of his balloon, but the more I thought about it, I thought maybe preppers and permaculturists might find root cellars attractive.

What say you? If you could have a company that comes in with a pre-built insert and an excavator (possibly called a "Root-a-Bago" haha) for a reasonable price and done in one day, how interested would you be?

Just curious. Of course I'm not taking the idea seriously.

[iris lilies]

Of course I wouldn’t pay anyone to do that.

We don’t pay ANYONE to do ANYTHING.

The preppers and their ilk would be building their own. The yuppie people who hire everything done would likely be living in places tightly controlled by building codes, so that would be a major consideration of any excavation and underground thing.

Besides, the people who build and outfit wine cellars would already be covering this market.

[bae]

If I had the proper site for one, I'd rent an excavator and a few other things from the shop by the village, and do it myself, assuming I could also source the materials at this point in our society. I'd probably have to improvise and make some lumber on-the-spot though.

However, at my current house, which is built atop solid rock, if someone could do the job in a day, I'd sure talk to them :-)

[miteigenenhaenden]

Preppers and garden owners are more likely to build one themselves. The smallest form of a root cellar is a buried drum of a washing machine. Carrots, celery and potatoes are excellent in it.


I also store apples, onions, garlic, squash, etc. in our home's basement light wells.

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[catherine]

Preppers and garden owners are more likely to build one themselves. The smallest form of a root cellar is a buried drum of a washing machine. Carrots, celery and potatoes are excellent in it.


I also store apples, onions, garlic, squash, etc. in our home's basement light wells.

2-3.jpg

That is so cool! (excuse the pun)!

I agree with what you are saying. Preppers and permies are going to do it themselves. So back to my original assessment: I think you all concur that there is no market opportunity for a root cellar installer. I do like the name I proposed, though. Maybe I have to think of another purpose for a "Root-A-Bago"

[Tybee]

That is so cool! (excuse the pun)!

I agree with what you are saying. Preppers and permies are going to do it themselves. So back to my original assessment: I think you all concur that there is no market opportunity for a root cellar installer. I do like the name I proposed, though. Maybe I have to think of another purpose for a "Root-A-Bago"

I'm not sure about there not being a market. When we lived in Traverse City, we went on a neat tour put on by a building supply place that sold only recycled building supplies--old wooden floors, furnishings, light fixtures, etc. So people were into building things, and someone gave us a tour of his amazing root cellar--I still think and dream about that thing. I really like the idea of pre-packaged, although this thing was quite big--think bomb shelter size.

[ToomuchStuff]

Around here, the term would probably be bunker, or storm shelter. However you would have to know your market.
On an island, where is the groundwater table? Do you have basements?