The Cave

A majority of the food needed by farming families in the early 1900's was homegrown. In addition to the field crops, most farmsteads also had a sizeable vegetable garden. Potatoes were a popular garden crop because they were hardy and would last throughout the winter. Potatoes did not need to be fully harvested until right before the first frost. Farmers stored potatoes in the root cellar for the upcoming winter months. Requirements for a properly functioning root cellar included dryness, ventilation, even and low temperatures, nearness to the place where the food is consumed, and freedom from frost and freezing. Other vegetables stored in the root cellar might include other root crops like carrots, beets and turnips, as well as celery, cabbage and squash.

The root cellar pictured here is located at the Bear Run Nature Reserve near Fallingwater, the house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for the Edgar Kaufmann family of Pittsburgh. One of the activities at a recent event held for Western Pennsylvania Conservancy members was a community hike at the Reserve. Bill Scarlett, a community resident and descendent of the Tissue family (the original owners of the farm), said his family called the root cellar “the cave.” He recalled the childhood task of “sprouting potatoes” in the spring time, which meant he went to the cave and removed the winter growth of potato sprouts from each potato.

Today's photo was taken by WPC's Communications Specialist, Jack Rowley.

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