Pragmatic Structures - Idaho Potato Cellars
Growing up in eastern Idaho I never gave the long, low dirt-covered structures occupying the landscape much thought. However, over the last few years I’ve become fascinated by the geometry, simplicity, practicality, oddity, and beauty (yes, beauty) of potato cellars.
These buildings seem a part of the landscape. In order for dirt cellars to be effective potato storage structures they are built low in the ground (almost half of a traditional potato cellar is under ground) to take advantage of the insulating properties of the soil. Unfinished timbers are anchored in the dirt, the timbers are covered with soil and straw, and a façade is built on each end to support the structure. Over time weather erodes the straw, wind deposits soil and seeds, and the grasses and weeds that surround the cellars tend grow on them. It can be difficult to differentiate between the cellar and the surrounding landscape.
The basic shape of many older cellars is an elongated triangle. This was probably the easiest and strongest design that met the needs of the basic potato storage facility. Because of this the front and back of most cellars have a triangular façade. Some of the facades seem well thought out and carefully constructed. While others look to have been put together with whatever materials the farmer could find; these include: wooden planks (oldest cellars), cinderblocks, plywood, corrugated tin, and even basalt. It seems the faces of these cellars would all look very similar. They do, mostly. However, there are small differences. It is these similarities and differences that hold my interest.
Farmers no longer build potato cellars from timbers, dirt, straw and cinderblock. They are built by construction companies from vinyl, aluminum, foam, and concrete. They are air-conditioned and are much more efficient long-term potato storage structures. As older cellars wear out and collapse these modern cellars replace them. This is a good thing for the farmer. Temperature and humidity are easier to control, which means fewer potatoes are lost during long storage. From an aesthetic and historic point of view though, it’s difficult to watch these older cellars collapse and disappear from the landscape.
During the last few springs I have gone out photographing potato cellars. It’s disheartening to see how many cellars don’t survive the winter. Heavy snow, combined with repeated melting and freezing, and heavy winds take their toll and many of them collapse. I feel an obligation to document these cellars before they are gone. It is this obligation that drives the body of work.
-Darren Clark 2009
Growing up in eastern Idaho I never gave the long, low dirt-covered structures occupying the landscape much thought. However, over the last few years I’ve become fascinated by the geometry, simplicity, practicality, oddity, and beauty (yes, beauty) of potato cellars.
These buildings seem a part of the landscape. In order for dirt cellars to be effective potato storage structures they are built low in the ground (almost half of a traditional potato cellar is under ground) to take advantage of the insulating properties of the soil. Unfinished timbers are anchored in the dirt, the timbers are covered with soil and straw, and a façade is built on each end to support the structure. Over time weather erodes the straw, wind deposits soil and seeds, and the grasses and weeds that surround the cellars tend grow on them. It can be difficult to differentiate between the cellar and the surrounding landscape.
The basic shape of many older cellars is an elongated triangle. This was probably the easiest and strongest design that met the needs of the basic potato storage facility. Because of this the front and back of most cellars have a triangular façade. Some of the facades seem well thought out and carefully constructed. While others look to have been put together with whatever materials the farmer could find; these include: wooden planks (oldest cellars), cinderblocks, plywood, corrugated tin, and even basalt. It seems the faces of these cellars would all look very similar. They do, mostly. However, there are small differences. It is these similarities and differences that hold my interest.
Farmers no longer build potato cellars from timbers, dirt, straw and cinderblock. They are built by construction companies from vinyl, aluminum, foam, and concrete. They are air-conditioned and are much more efficient long-term potato storage structures. As older cellars wear out and collapse these modern cellars replace them. This is a good thing for the farmer. Temperature and humidity are easier to control, which means fewer potatoes are lost during long storage. From an aesthetic and historic point of view though, it’s difficult to watch these older cellars collapse and disappear from the landscape.
During the last few springs I have gone out photographing potato cellars. It’s disheartening to see how many cellars don’t survive the winter. Heavy snow, combined with repeated melting and freezing, and heavy winds take their toll and many of them collapse. I feel an obligation to document these cellars before they are gone. It is this obligation that drives the body of work.
-Darren Clark 2009