Mezzacello Sustainable Infrastructure Models

This is Mezzacello Urban Farm’s love letter to sustainability. This map is blank because we build our infrastructure atop these ecologies. In this blog we will be looking at the ecologies and advanced systems that all blend together to make Mezzacello Urban Farm systemically and ecologically sustainable.

11 Ecologies and the Sustainable Infrastructure

If you follow our mission here you know that we are deeply committed to sustainability and integrated ecologies to make out technology and biological integration strategy more robust. To that end, we have 11 independent ecologies or structures that all tie into each other. To make this integration even more sustainable, we use a combination of built infrastructure and farming strategies.

Most of our infrastructure is either steel and concrete, or just steel. Steel makes more sense as it resists corrosion in the CO-heavy environment that exists in our downtown location. We started out with wood as we believed it was cheaper and more sustainable. But wood is easily destroyed by rain, pollution, and the hard freeze-thaw cycles of Ohio. So we began a program in 2021 to begin converting all wooden infrastructure to steel and concrete.

The 11 enclosed and integrated ecologies at Mezzacello Urban Farm are:

1. Formal Gardens

   • Steel EcoGazebos, Steel Tables with LiFEPO4 battery Packs, Brick Beds, HugelKultur Beds, Planter Bases

2. Pollinator Garden

   • Benches, Brick Beds, Automated Waterer, Solar Lights, Solar Array for Hornbeam Alley

3. Pond Garden

   • Benches, Steel Pergola, Solar Lights, Vertical Axis, Wind Turbine

4. Pond

   • Liquid Water, Algae, Pond Filter, Bakki Shower, Biofilter, UV Filter, Safety Chain Fence, Solar and Battery Inverter Backup, Statue for Flowers

5. Parterre Gardens

   • Brick Beds, Resin Planter Urns, Steel Trellises, Boxwood Microbiomes, Watering Towers

6. Biodome

   • Steel Trellis, Steel Geodesic Dome, Solar Array, Backup Battery and Inverter, Rain Cachement and Pump, Lights, Optional Winter Greenhouse, and Steel Wire Animal Enclosure

7. Hornbeam Allee

   • Brick Beds, HugelKulture Beds, Steel Entrance Pergola, Solar Arrays, LiFEPO4 Table Batteries, Solar Lights, Steel Allee Pergolas, Hanging Lights, Concrete Narnia Stage, Steel Presentation Pergola, Narnia Fountain, Steel Benches, Steel Tables, Steel Heating Towers, Allee Pergola Base Pole-mounted LiFEPO4 Battery arrays and USB Charging Stations

8. Livestock Shed and Poultry Run

   • Algae Processing Station, Wood Shed with Steel Roof, Rubber Matte Walkways, Steel cages, Steel Containers for Food, Steel Nesting Boxes, Solar Arrays, Vertical Axis Wind Turbines, Solar Lights, Steel Gated Enclosures, Weater Station, Cameras, Automated Doors, Configurable Rubber Trays for Chicken Run, Configurable Rubber Trays for Hen House, Hot Water Heater, Poultry Waster Collection Leach Pit, Animal Manure UV treatment Tanks

9. Potager Gardens

   • Steel Fences and Gates, 24 Lasagna Compost Garden Beds, 10’x12’ x9’ Steel Pergola, Automated Watering Systems on Pergola, Solar Array, 9 Steel Raised Beds, Steel Pea and Bean Towers, Steel Panels for Training Plants

10. Compost

    • Bioreactor Tower, Backup Compost Beds, Composting Raised Beds, 3 Meter Pressurized Water Tower, Beer, Sugar, Ammonia Synthesizing Stations, Data Centers, Centralized Pumping Station, Solar Arrays, Weather Station, Automated Accelerant Raining System, Synthesized Fertilizer Storage Racks, 1000 L Liquid Storage Tanks for Liquid Fertilizer and Fresh Water, Abattoir Station

11. Labs

    1. BioEngineering Lab

       • Engineering Lab with Solar Array and AC/DC Inverter, Complete with a built-in Maker Space, Complete Set of Engineering Tools, 3D Printers, Welders, Laser Cutter, Electrical Engineering Equipment, Mobile Power Generation and Solar and Wind-Turbine Repair Systems

    2. BioTech Lab

    3. Energy Lab

    4. Sutainability Lab