Recycle, Reuse, Reduce In Action
We worked today on a design challenge to encourage kids working with animals to be more aware of the necessity for hand washing, cleaning gloves, and being aware of potential pathogen vectors. Eight teams worked over four periods to design a solution that would help us all be better prepared and protected as we continue to explore sustainability and livestock. See what happened when kids put Recycle, Reuse, Reduce in Action.
The Rules For Engagement
This is a hybrid blogpost and slide entry for my proposed roundtable on my “Sustainability in Nature” class at Metro Schools this January. I have nine days to teach about sustainability, science, technology, engineering, math, farming, economics, discipline, and computer science. No big deal! This is the Rules for Engagement.
Did Dinosaurs Crow?
Today I brought in my rooster from Mezzacello Urban Farm as part of my sustainability in nature class at Metro Schools this week. To say they were mesmerized is an understatement. The look on their faces when that rooster crowed inside its cage - out of sight - was priceless. The kids had so many good questions and created some GREAT ideas for inventions that will make rooster-saurus safer!
My Friend, Gregor Mendel
I brought in three rabbits to Metro School today. The plan is to discuss genetics and epigenetics with students in the Sustainability in Nature program. We discussed how we imagined Greg Mendel discovered how the pea flowers could pass on color instructions via some mysterious mechanism.
Don’t Be Afraid, It’s a Chicken!
I brought in a chicken to discuss how animals and ecologies interact at Mezzacello Urban Farm. I brought in chicken #23 so they could get used to holding an animal and gaining confidence and competence in holding animals. Don’t be afraid, It’s a chicken!
The Foodist: An Urban Farm Breakfast
Yay! Eggs are back! Now that we have a semi-functioning kitchen again, Rick made me an Urban Farm Breakfast. It was very good and filling and 80% homemade from materials on the farm. This is The Foodist: An Urban Farm Breakfast.
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.
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.
The HVAC Struggle at Mezzacello
After 10 long years of living at Mezzacello, in 2024 we finally got working furnaces (we were heating the house with gas fireplaces all these years) and two brand new AC Units - that didn’t work.
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).
An Engineered and Mobile Ecology
Last week the kids in my Biomechanics summer camp created a very innovative mobile, sustainable animal cage from scratch! Learn how they did it here.
Multiple Career Hats at Mezzacello
At Mezzacello Urban Farms kids wear different hats every day! What careers do you think they might be interested in?!
The Arches Into The Allee in 2024
After five years of pruning and growing, the hornbeam allee and the arches that punctuate it on the east and west axis has grown in together. It’s very dramatic.