Store the harvest in several separate places so that no single raid, fire, flood or rot takes it all: the parent rule of no more than 30% in any one site needs at least 4 sites, because 3 sites at that limit hold only 90%. Each site must be dry, pest-proof and hidden by itself, and food for the next weeks should stay near the base while the long-term stock is spread out.
Part of Defensive Agriculture
Dispersed storage is the splitting of harvested food among several independent sites so that a loss at one does not become a loss of the whole.
The Parent’s Rule Does Not Add Up At Three Sites
The parent article says to store no more than 30% of the harvest in any single location, and to maintain 3-5 storage sites. Check the sums:
- 3 sites, each at most 30%: 3 x 30 = 90%. Ten percent has nowhere to go.
- The fewest sites that can hold 100% with none above 30% is 100 / 30 = 3.33, so 4.
So “3-5 sites” with “30% at most” contradicts itself at the low end; use 4 to 5. With equal shares:
| Sites | Share in each | Worst single loss |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 33% (over the limit) | 33% |
| 4 | 25% | 25% |
| 5 | 20% | 20% |
Equal shares are not required, but the largest share is the worst single loss, so keep each below the limit you chose. The 30% figure is a design choice, not a tested value.
What Each Site Must Do On Its Own
The parent article asks that each site be independently waterproofed, pest-proofed and concealed. “Independently” is the point: two stores in one barn share a fire, a leak and a rat. Storage conditions that apply to every site:
- Dry and cool. Moisture spoils grain and seed; see Grain Storage.
- Rodent-proof. See Rat Proofing.
- Concealed. Hidden food caches follow the same logic as dispersed gardens; see Hidden Food Caches and Emergency Caches.
- Reachable. A store you cannot reach in winter is a loss.
Method: Split A Harvest
Step 1: Weigh or measure the harvest and write the figure down.
Step 2: Set the working stock aside. Food for the next few weeks stays at the base, in daily reach. The rest is long-term stock.
Step 3: Divide the long-term stock into at least 4 parts, each below the share you chose, and send them to different sites. Put seed in more than one.
Step 4: Vary the sites. Different kinds (root cellar, pit, dry loft, a neighbour’s store), different ground, different approaches, so that one search does not find all.
Step 5: Record the sites in two places and let at least two trusted people know each one; see Multiple Storage Sites.
Step 6: Visit on a schedule. Check for moisture, mould and rodents, and rotate old stock out first; visits leave tracks, so stagger them.
Common Mistakes
- Three sites at the 30% cap. They hold 90%.
- All sites on one route. One trail finds the lot.
- A site only one person knows. If that person is lost, the store is.
- No inspection. Hidden food that rots is not saved.
- Dispersing the grain but not the seed. The next year’s crop is the most valuable stock.
Underground and sealed stores are confined spaces
Pits, cellars and sealed containers can hold carbon dioxide or lack oxygen, especially where vegetables or grain are respiring or fermenting. Do not go down alone, ventilate before entering, and never rely on a flame as a test of the air. Pits can collapse; see Underground Storage.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Multiple Storage Sites — how many sites survive the loss you plan for
- Combine with: Underground Storage — the usual hidden site type