A System Winds Through It
This blogpost is about a rebellious chick who survived a wild night out in Mezzacello Urban Farm but survived because of the integrated systems she is standing on in this photo. Let’s talk about it.
Generations of Livestock at an Urban Farm
On an urban Farm, livestock pay a VERY important role in developing healthy ecologies and environmentally stable and sustainable systems. Fortunately they can also build their own ranks. Baby animals on a farm.
Workforce Development at Mezzacello
Students with Columbus’ All That After School STEAM program have been visiting Mezzacello Urban Farm on Thursdays to learn about STEM programming and ag experiences. This program is on physical electricity and solar and wind power.
An Urban Farm Midden
A midden is one important way that archaeologists and anthropologists understand a site or a culture. It what the “trash” of a site looks like. This is what an urban farm midden looks like at Mezzacello Urban Farm.
Climate Reality and Permaculture
This is a story about sticking to your guns and working to build resilient ecosystems. All of the beds at Mezzacello are planted with good soil and manure, as well as built in permaculture features like swales and hugelkulttur. But will a level 4 drought, that is just not enough.
Ohio EPA Environmental and Climate Justice Training
HS students visiting Mezzacello to test the environmental health of it using a variety of sensors for the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and pedasphere. They took those sensors back to Pickerington High School where they will use them to teach others (as well as their YouTube videos) and they will take an environmental assessment of their school grounds and their homes and upload that data.
There’s No Place Like Home
We are in the midst of a major renovation and retrofit of the 1868 house and the rear kitchen. There is a two-storey porch and classroom addition planned for the house and the farm. But the kitchen is a war zone!
It’s The Small Things That Matter
Mezzacello Urban Farm is rapidly building its capacity to inspire and educate the next generation of innovators and leaders, but we need your help. It's the little things that matter, like sharing our story or social media posts! That would help us a lot!
Science Hides On a Farm
This blog post is dedicated to a board member of Mezzacello Urban Farm who challeneged me to think about Mezzacello as just a farm - the way that most people who don't know why Mezzacello exists will do.
Mezzacello Age of Steel Part 4
This is part four of a multi-part detailing of Mezzacello Urban Farm's transition from wood to steel in its infratsructure. This is the hornbeam allee.
Mezzacello Menu of Camps and Workshops, Tours, and Mobile Labs
A complete menu of all of the educational learning opportunities on offer from Mezzacello Urban Farm.
It’s Time For a New Map
The addition of several new structures at Mezzacello to proviode shade and cover from rain -- all steel -- and the building of the classroom and side porch means it's time for a new map.
When Kids Get To Make The Rules
Mezzacello is purpose built to allow kids, families, and communities better understand sustainability, ecology, STEM content and food. One of our favorite components of this learning journey is being there for when kids get to make the rules.
Our Mission, Home, Purpose, and Business
It's all hiding right there in the logo! Red Brick green tree urban farming non-profit! It's way more than the sum of its parts. It's a new way of thinking about sustainability.
Entering a New Phase of My Mission
This week I finally launched the PALs outreach initiative. PALs stands for Portable Ag Lab station. It will be joined shortly by the PETs (Portable Environmental Testing station) and PODs (Portable Observational Data station).
Boursin Chicken Roulette With Cabbage
This was a real surprise from Manon’s Little Kitchen! Boursin cheese, butter, salt and pepper on white cabbage. Delightful and wicked easy to make — and best of all — even better the next day! Rick included the entire dinner from Manon’s book.
Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Update
I am getting ready to expand and modify the VAWT systems at Mezzacello. I will move the two towers from the north side of sheds 1 and 2 to the south side. Read why in this blog. Learn more in a workshop at Mezzacello!
The Mobile Classroom Upgrade
This is The Mobile Classroom Upgrade. It is a steel shelving system j-Welded together, with four steel shelves, an independent front suspension with all-terrain tires. It comes standard with a 55” Monitor, onboard AC Inv erter and Backup batteries. A power strip for plugging into, a solar panel and rain cover that makes it all-season and it’s own PA system and 5G hotspot.
Portable Power and a Mobile Coop
This portable coop comes equipped with automatic feeder, a waterer, manure detection feature, wheels, a suspension and onboard power for everything powered by the sun, a solar panel and batteries.
The Age of Steel - Part 3
As Mezzacello matures and becomes more active with camps and content, we are finding time and again that steel makes the most sense in terms of infrastructure.