Root cellars are not a thing of the past, they are a way to store fruits, vegetables and canned goods without using electricity. An old practice used today to be more sustainable.
Woodside Root Cellars is a business born out of the pandemic to help install root cellars in basements or community cellars.
The eMERGE EcoMarket at the Old Quebec Street Shoppes on Saturday showcased eco-friendly businesses and organizations.
Transition Guelph, a non-profit organization helping Guelph become more sustainable, received some money from Seeding Our Food Future to build circular food economies.
“What Transition Guelph identified, there was a gap in that circular food economy and how to sustainably store food,” said Ian Findlay, owner of Woodside Root Cellars.
Inflation and issues with the supply chain are some of the reasons why opting for a root cellar could be a good option for people, said Findlay.
“If you can take advantage of going to the farmer's market now and buying a huge bag of potatoes, that’ll last you. If you have a place to store it,” he said. “Potatoes in a root cellar can last well into the spring.
Typically, root cellars are found in the basement underneath the front door of a house. It is cool, and proper ventilation is installed to help with the temperature. The initial cost is from the installation, ranging from $500 to $1,500. There are no operating costs since it doesn’t use electricity like a refrigerator would.
People who garden or like to take advantage of sales at the grocery store, a root cellar is a good place to store the food, Findlay said.
Other organizations at the market had their own take on sustainability.
The Yorklands Green Hub is a group who have been putting in the effort to create a centre for environmental education on the land of the former Guelph Correctional Centre now known as the Yorklands, since 2011.
There is a supervisor’s cottage on the property they want to turn into an education centre, to teach people about renewable energy, water conservation, all things climate change.
Students can come to the centre to learn about climate change, said Bernadette Wycks, fundraising strategist and development manager for Yorklands Green Hub.
The hub has been educating students recently about identifying types of trees and their purpose in the environment.
Another educational resource at the eMERGE event was Royal City Science, a hub to educate people about science.
Since they don’t have a permanent space yet, they bring their science demonstrations to places where people are like the eMERGE EcoMarket.
“Our ultimate mission is to build a science centre in Guelph,” said board member Kate Howells.
“Issues like pandemics, vaccines and climate change and environment, sustainability and nutrition. There is so much that directly affects people everyday,” said Howells.
“It’s important for them not only to have a bit of the science knowledge behind that but to have a positive mindset about science.”
Royal City Science is interested in targeting what matters to people like sparking children’s curiosity in science and for the adults, what is relevant in their lives in relation to science, said Howells.
Each of these businesses and organizations deal with the environment and how Guelph can live more sustainably.
