If you store vegetables for any length of time, you’re going to want to hear this interview with Sam Knapp of Offbeet Farm. Sam has practiced “storage farming” for years, growing during the summer for off-season sales from stored crops deep into the winter. In this interview, he tells us about how he figured out his own best practices along the way, as there was little available information on modern veg storage techniques that would keep produce in top shape over an extended period of time.

The product of all this learning is Sam’s brand-new book, Beyond the Root Cellar. It covers every aspect of storage farming, from which crops to grow for storage, to how to grow and harvest them, to what kind of a structure to build for long-term storage and the conditions that will keep vegetables fresh for as long as possible. We cover a lot of it in this interview, though for all the details, you can order Beyond the Root Cellar, which is now shipping from Growing for Market; magazine subscribers always get 20% off all books, including Beyond the Root Cellar.

Connect With Guest:

Sam’s book Beyond the Root Cellar: https://growingformarket.com/store/products/264

Website: https://offbeetalaska.com

Instagram: @offbeetalaska

Podcast Sponsors:

Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support:
 

There are a lot of farm sales platforms out there, but there’s only one that’s cooperatively owned by farmers. That’s GrownBy — your all-in-one solution to simplify farm sales. From start-up market farms to complex and scaled-up CSAs, GrownBy makes online farm sales easy and affordable; setting up your shop is free, and you only pay when you sell. Join over 900 farms who have already signed up for GrownBy, and you’re eligible to join the co-op and become a member-owner after your first sale. Visit grownby.com to get started.

Tilth Soil makes living soils for organic growers. The base for all our mixes is NOP-compliant compost, made from the 4,000 tons of food scraps we divert from landfills each year. And the results speak for themselves. Get excellent germination, strong transplants, and help us turn these resources back into food. Try a free bag, and check our 2025 seed starter pre-sale for the best prices of the season at tilthsoil.com/gfm.

PanAmerican Seed brings to market novel, high-quality vegetables for the fresh market grower and hobby farmer. This year, to help make choices for vegetable programs easier, we’ve grouped our assortment into four categories where these edible favorites perform their best. Look for our easy-to-identify symbols in our latest brochure! Visit panamseed.com/vegetables to learn more and find a seed supplier today.
 

Farmhand is the only ready-to-ride assistant made by and for farmers. Through a simple text or email to Farmhand, you can offload admin tasks, automate your CSA, update your website, and sell more to your customers. Learn more and take one of our many time-saving tasks for a test drive to see firsthand how Farmhand can help you earn more, and work less at farmhand.partners/gfm.

Bootstrap Farmer offers a complete range of growing supplies including heat mats, ground cover, frost blankets, silage tarps, irrigation, and trellising. They also make all-metal, all-inclusive greenhouse kits, constructed of steel made in the USA and fabricated in Texas. Their heavy-duty, Midwest-made propagation and microgreens trays will last for years and are available in a full spectrum of colors. For all that plus experienced support for everything they sell, check out Bootstrap Farmer at bootstrapfarmer.com.