I was a lazy, lazy homesteader this fall. Well, actually, I was too sick to do many of my usual tasks, so I let most of them slide. But the results are the same. I didn't mulch bare spots in the garden. I didn't put away all of the sprinklers. And I never got around to hooking up the backup heat in the fridge root cellar.

The good news is, the winter was mild and our carrots didn't rot despite (I suspect) freezing solid a few times. The bad news is...voles got in and nibbled on the last half bushel, turning them into goat fodder rather than human rations.

If you're following along at home, I'm now pretty certain that those of you in zone 7 (one zone warmer than us) can count on a fridge root cellar doing its job without supplemental heat. Just make sure to check your screens and latches to keep the rodents at bay!