Food storage while you build

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DrJenner

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Neighbor
Joined
Sep 21, 2021
Messages
1,310
Location
PNW, USA
Turning to the experts again --
As I posted before, we have purchased some acreage and will be living in our RV.
My concern is all my food preps and where to put them! Right now I have a bedroom just dedicated to storage of preps.

I am thinking to get a container and place it on the property, until we can get a food cellar dug out, but it won't be climate controlled and I don't want to lose food to spoilage from the heat. We may or may not get it dug out in time depending on how things go, and it gets hot by May. Hubby has a bobcat and attachments to dig it out, but we both still have our day jobs too.

Our priority is getting the well done as we just heard from a friend that our great governor in all his wisdom has decided to put a cap on wells, and then figure out how to tax them. We also need to get the road in this month so we can get the well in. We have the configuration for culverts, and then need to get a few boulders out to scrape out the road. Thankfully my husband used to be a logger and would cut in road in MT so he knows a bit how to do those things.
Definitely getting down to the wire.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated!
 
Turning to the experts again --
As I posted before, we have purchased some acreage and will be living in our RV.
My concern is all my food preps and where to put them! Right now I have a bedroom just dedicated to storage of preps.

I am thinking to get a container and place it on the property, until we can get a food cellar dug out, but it won't be climate controlled and I don't want to lose food to spoilage from the heat. We may or may not get it dug out in time depending on how things go, and it gets hot by May. Hubby has a bobcat and attachments to dig it out, but we both still have our day jobs too.

Our priority is getting the well done as we just heard from a friend that our great governor in all his wisdom has decided to put a cap on wells, and then figure out how to tax them. We also need to get the road in this month so we can get the well in. We have the configuration for culverts, and then need to get a few boulders out to scrape out the road. Thankfully my husband used to be a logger and would cut in road in MT so he knows a bit how to do those things.
Definitely getting down to the wire.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated!
What about a small storage shed? We did that about 23 yrs ago when moving. Lived in a SMALL rental home, were getting a mobile home on our property. Moved a 10×16 shed in, put up simple insulation board inside and put a window heat and a/c unit in the back wall. Since we had electric there were also able to put a fridge and small freezer in it. It then became hubby's woodshop when we got moved in! Don't know if you have electric there yet!?
 
Don't stop. The fact you're this far shows you have what it takes. Just make sure it stays fun. Maybe leave your squeeze a note telling him how much you appreciate him. N such. Positive attitude and spread it. Start a bonfire n just sit down.
When our house burned down. A friend offered an old 16' camper for us n our 5-6 year old kids. I put up tarps. Bought my pressure tank everything needed to get water for my house first. And used it while building. Washer, dryer water system. Phone line patched together with 10 peices of scrap wire. We made it work.
There was local donation coffee cans on the local stores counters that folks donated to. When my beautiful wife went to check things out they asked what we needed. She bought a freezer, refrigerator, canning supplies, oven n such. It was all sitting outside our little make shift blue tarp home.
Yeah had to work 18 hour days, no labor could be found as a whole bunch of others burned too and had insurance to hire crews, or anyone just to pick up trash.
Funny side story. The fire fighting crews would all stop buy n use the Porta potty every morning. 30 plus . We would try n have coffee for them.
Hey they were tough times, but they were good times
 
What about a small storage shed? We did that about 23 yrs ago when moving. Lived in a SMALL rental home, were getting a mobile home on our property. Moved a 10×16 shed in, put up simple insulation board inside and put a window heat and a/c unit in the back wall. Since we had electric there were also able to put a fridge and small freezer in it. It then became hubby's woodshop when we got moved in! Don't know if you have electric there yet!?
Great idea Pearl. I'm sure we could get that there. We have a window heat/ac unit now we use in our garage that is a stand alone I could take there.
We don't have electric yet but we do have some solar panels for the RV I could get there. We are working on solar as well.
We would probably need it for a few years, as we plan on falling the trees and milling the lumber from the property, and building our own place.
 
Don't stop. The fact you're this far shows you have what it takes. Just make sure it stays fun. Maybe leave your squeeze a note telling him how much you appreciate him. N such. Positive attitude and spread it. Start a bonfire n just sit down.
When our house burned down. A friend offered an old 16' camper for us n our 5-6 year old kids. I put up tarps. Bought my pressure tank everything needed to get water for my house first. And used it while building. Washer, dryer water system. Phone line patched together with 10 peices of scrap wire. We made it work.
There was local donation coffee cans on the local stores counters that folks donated to. When my beautiful wife went to check things out they asked what we needed. She bought a freezer, refrigerator, canning supplies, oven n such. It was all sitting outside our little make shift blue tarp home.
Yeah had to work 18 hour days, no labor could be found as a whole bunch of others burned too and had insurance to hire crews, or anyone just to pick up trash.
Funny side story. The fire fighting crews would all stop buy n use the Porta potty every morning. 30 plus . We would try n have coffee for them.
Hey they were tough times, but they were good times
Wow that sounds tough for sure, and that you made the most of it!
I am hoping it stays fun. Right now we are stressed as we are in limbo and needing to get our existing house sold but that's a whole other story for another day - LOL
 
Great idea Pearl. I'm sure we could get that there. We have a window heat/ac unit now we use in our garage that is a stand alone I could take there.
We don't have electric yet but we do have some solar panels for the RV I could get there. We are working on solar as well.
We would probably need it for a few years, as we plan on falling the trees and milling the lumber from the property, and building our own place.
We always try to think ahead, knew we would use the shed in the future so it was a good and at the time fairly inexpensive investment. Good luck, let us know what you come up with😊. Sorry for the incorrect grammer!
 
Place your well under an eventual deck or in a shed. Buy a section of well casing and after the well driller is gone make yourself a fake well, for the government to cap off.
 
Place your well under an eventual deck or in a shed. Buy a section of well casing and after the well driller is gone make yourself a fake well, for the government to cap off.
Great idea. I'm so upset about it. Sounds like its a ways off, but nonetheless frustrating.
 
If you use a container, place it in the shade and lock it well, these are targets for theft if left unattended.
Absolutely. Our property is 48 acres, starts about 1/2 mile off the road, which is also pretty secluded. You won't be able to see it from the road, given all the outcroppings, but nonetheless!
 
Your property sounds perfect for guard dogs. Brain-fart, I don't remember the breed but others here will. They are large dogs that are heard dogs and will protect your family, livestock, and property. They do not like strangers so extra care must be taken if you have company. Walk the property line with them so they know the limits of their home.
 
Is there climate controlled storage in your area?

Keep the over flow there and augment your on site storage when there is room.

Can you get a second hand trailer that functioning climate control to use for storage?

Ben
Hi Ben, yeah there is, about 20 minutes away in the bigger town, just thinking if the SHTF I don't want to try and make a trip in there.
We definitely could get a 2nd hand trailer, but those now are just as expensive as the regular ones. It's so crazy! My friend had one she sold for more than she purchased it for.
 
IMG_0748.jpeg
 
I was thinking climate controlled storage also. Maybe just in summer.
Dr Jenner, If you ever have time check out the fouch family on youtube. They moved to Idaho logged thier property and built their home off grid. They were my inspiration. I wish I had half his energy and skill.
 
I was thinking climate controlled storage also. Maybe just in summer.
Dr Jenner, If you ever have time check out the fouch family on youtube. They moved to Idaho logged thier property and built their home off grid. They were my inspiration. I wish I had half his energy and skill.
I will, thank you! That is exactly what we want to do, we've ordered the sawmill, and waiting for it to arrive.
 
After doing it the wrong way,

My advice for starting a homestead is to build your storage FIRST. Even if it means living in a tent for two years, you will be happier and get things done faster if you build your /barn/shop/storeroom, etc FIRST and then your living space.

If you build your living space first, you will still have the same needs for storage and shop space, but now your trying to do it untop of your living space, which means neither your living space, or your shop will work very well. Build the storage first, so you at least have it to use, while your building your living space.

Now, as for what you actually build.

There is such a thing as an above ground rootcellar. I have one. Its a 12x12 room framed and insulated with 2x8s, including an 8" door. It works very well to keep temps controlled, not too hot in the summer, above freezing in the winter. And it can double as a guest room. It pretty fast and easy to build (although the insulation cost a few bucks)
 
@Aerindel thank you for the advice.
We had planned on the shop and outbuildings first (chicken coop, dog houses) etc.
Figured the house wouldn't be for a few years (and I am ok with that as the kids will both be out of the house). I'm hoping hubs can build the above ground root cellar straight away, before we move over there (which will be after winter).
 
Hi Ben, yeah there is, about 20 minutes away in the bigger town, just thinking if the SHTF I don't want to try and make a trip in there.
We definitely could get a 2nd hand trailer, but those now are just as expensive as the regular ones. It's so crazy! My friend had one she sold for more than she purchased it for.
Check out used mobile homes.

My son found one in terrible shape for free provided he paid to move it.

Ben
 
I think a shed could work and then be repurposed when your home is built. A decent shed can be repurposed into many options in the future.
The idea of a shed first is an attractive idea. Thanks to @Aerindel .

We were dirt poor and 6 of us lived in one room in a basement my parents rented in Duluth Minnesota. My father purchased a run down house with all of the windows busted out. He put in a 55 gallon drum heater in the basement to provide minimal heat to heat a crude work shop. My father would pick me up after school and I was responsible for keeping the heater stoked. He repaired each window in the house reglazing each until the first floor was inhabitable in MN winters.

The family relocated and my mother and siblings cleaned up second hand tongue and groove flooring from an old church that my father and I used for the second floor.

My point is...

Survival (the cold) and functionality (the basement work shop) facilitates the comforts of home.

Nuff said

Ben
 
One other thing I will mention....

Straw Bale building method. Its an extremely cheap way to build a nice house. Eventually.

I had a liveable house for $4000 this way. I've since put a lot more into it over the last twelve years, but that was how I started, building from the inside out, paying as I went.

https://www.homesteadingforum.org/threads/my-place.11383/#post-300075
 
We bought a 40' shipping container with an insulated ceiling and added vents, it gets pretty warm inside but by adding a separate roof over it, I'm sure it would be much cooler. The main thing is keeping large temperature swings to a minimum, along with that roof, tarp the sides exposed to the sun.
 
We bought a 40' shipping container with an insulated ceiling and added vents, it gets pretty warm inside but by adding a separate roof over it, I'm sure it would be much cooler. The main thing is keeping large temperature swings to a minimum, along with that roof, tarp the sides exposed to the sun.

So in retrospect, is there any advantage to using a shipping container if you have to insulate it and add a separate roof? Compared to just building a building for your purpose.
 
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