I drove home through Blackfoot, Riverside, Pingree, Springfield, Aberdeen, American Falls, and saw lots of these buildings on the way. Most of you will know what this building is, but perhaps not everyone.
Here's another shot. These buildings are slowly crumbling back into the earth. They're still fairly prevalent in Eastern Idaho. I'm not sure if these were used in other potato growing areas, but probably.
These are the old style of potato storage facility. Basically a large root cellar. Dig down, put up a frame of poles, cover with straw, put the dirt from the hole on the straw, call it good. Now farmers and processors use metal buildings with air conditioning and humidity systems that can effectively store potatoes for a year (with a chemical added to stop sprouting).
4 comments:
There used to be one of those potato cellars well within the city limits of IF. On Broadway alongside the railroad tracks near the interstate. The west side of town used to reek when they were cleaning it out.
Nice Alan! Can't really go wrong with any of those brews!
Isn't that cellar just past a bend in the road, going south of Springfield, and off to your left as you're headed towards Aberdeen? Looks familiar. I've probably driven past it a hundred times, starting way back when it was still in use. I'm positive, though, that I never dumped a load of spuds in that particular cellar during harvest.
Yes, it is between Springfield and Aberdeen. On the East side of the road (I think). It's one of many along the route between Blackfoot and Aberdeen.
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