Rethinking Life: From The Atom Up
My board asked me to define the educational direction of my applied STEM programming and how I see sustainability, food, livestock and life. I responded glibly with, “Mezzacello is committed to rethinking life: from the atom up.” The board liked that, and I did too; It’s an apt description.
How We Build Ecology, Technology, and Confidence Through Curriculum
At Mezzacello, we don’t recreate the wheel with new curriculum. We use the wheels of existing curriculum and build a new vehicle blending traditional Amish strategies and cutting edge STEM technology. This is how we do it.
War of The Winds: Evolution
I am on the FOURTH iteration of wind turbines here at Mezzacello Urban Farm. We started with a traditional horizontal axis wind turbines. Then I switched to the vertical axis flower turbines. Now I am exploring vertical blade vertical axis wind turbines in new configurations.
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.
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.
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!
Portable Energy Generation systems (PEGs)
An emerging aspect of our mission to Grow, Maintain, Sustain, and Explain is improved portable units to teach our Applied STEM systems in more locations. PEGs is the latest offering. Portable Energy Generation systems.
Building a New Vision of the Urban Farm
This is a quick update on our journey of building a new vision of the urban farm. The house has been in need of serious attention for some time. We took out a loan and have started making Phase III of Mezzacello Urban Farm a reality.
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!
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.
Prepping For The Environmental and Climate Justice Academy
Become a part of the Ohio EPA-funded FREE Environmental an Climate Justice Academy! Learn more here!
How Kids Can Monitor and Protect Their Environment
At a Mezzacello Urban Farm Summer Camp for Middle School Students, a team of kids tested, monitored, diagnosed a parasite, and treated a 7000kl pond and the vet approves!
Computer Power and Exponential Growth
This is a poignant reminder of the irrtional and transcendent numbers in our universe. Pi, Phi, e, and i. This tiny chip on the bottm photo has more memory than that ENTIRE BUILDING.
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.
Metro High School 2024 Intern
This is my Metro Intern for 2024. Their capstone was to design a series of three design challenges that focus on ecology, quantume effects, and biomechancs. They rocked it.
Welcome to the TerraRover
Mezzacello Urban Farm is proud to add the NASA/AREN TerraRover project to our farm and curriculum. This ground-based, Landsat-connected rover will allow Mezzacello to tie the farm to the atmosphere and beyond innew and surprising ways.
We Love Community Service Days
Mezzacello recently hosted a group of teens from Columbus School for Girls to get some service hours in. They were delightful and such a huge help! Ask about your school finding service hours!