The Foodist: New Year’s Day Surprise Quiche
Happy New Year! Rick wanted to use the mustard, garlic and honey rubbed pork roast, cabbage with Boursin cheese, and this amazing Marmalade. You simply must try this recipe for the foodist: New Years Day Surprise Quiche!
Introducing Mentors + Interns (MenTerns) Programming
This year in 2025 we will be evolving our intern project to the next level. 2023 and 2024 interns will be returning to Mezzacello Urban Farm to help teach and manage camps. This year, the seasoned kids will also be serving as mentors to newer interns and to the camp kids. So in honor of thois deeper level of engagement, we created the mentor/intern hybrid portmanteau “Menterns”. So this is a blog post Introducing Mentors + Interns = “MenTerns” Programming.
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.
The Power of Permaculture
This is the story of systems design and permaculture in the service of sustainability on an urban farm. This collage of images showcases 7 years of successful permaculture that transformed 30 cut stems of hydrangea, and 36 cut branches into the hornbeam allee that exists at Mezzacello Urban Farm today. This is the power of permaculture.
The Foodist: Seasoning Big Mom’s Cast Iron Pan
This pan is an heirloom. Ricks' Grandma Ann gifted to Rick's mother (Big Mom) who in turn gifted it to Rick. We use this pan alot! It's over 100 years old and has been well-cared for. With the remodel it got dusty and neglected, so we reseasoned her. Here's how.
The Foodist: Sausage, Thunder Jack Cheese, and Mango Scrambled Eggs
This is total comfort food! Rick threw together this experiment in flavors, textures, and ingredients, and boy is it a winner! Just the right amount of spice, sweetness and salty flavors. Try this The Foodist: Sausage, Thunder Jack Cheese, and Mango Scrambled Eggs!
The Pond at Mezzacello
This is a quick video that one of my summer camp “menterns” took with the biotechnology team last summer. It’s really solid work and they write up on the aquatic ecology that the kids did was pretty solid too.
Knowing Your SuperPower
Today I was working with my Columbus City School intern and they asked if they could conduct an interview. I of course agreed. One of the questions they asked was about knowing my super power. Yes. One of mine is definitely creativity.
Bio Technology at Mezzacello
This is a quick gallery of all the bio automation and programming at Mezzacello Urban Farm. If it has "Bio" in the name, you'll find it here!
The Foodist: Apple, Orange, Rosemary, and Peppercorn Turkey Brine
This brine is perfect for an Urban Farm and a fresh turkey! We were able to use peppercorns, garlic, bay leaves, and rosemary from the gardens and the fresh fruit was a nice addition. We swapped out apple cider for apple cider vinegar.
Egg Cartons With Style
As you may know, Mezzacello Urban Farm has a surplus of fresh, healthy chicken and quail eggs that we can’t use. As a non-profit we can’t (and don’t want to) sell them. So we had these cartons donated and the stickers as well. Every part of this is free, with the exception of the feed and water for the chickens.
Fresh Eggs In Winter!
This summer I started creating my own feed here at Mezzacello Urban Farm using a Pelletizer and the weegs and grass from the gardens and cracked corn and oil. The chickens love it. It is so nutritious that they lay PROLIFICALLY! But I do not have a kitchen, so I can't use the eggs! Help Me Out.
Mezzacello Winter 2024 Tour
This is a quick tour of Mezzacello Urban Farm in pictures. This is also linked as of December 1, 2024 to my webpage. This is a more comprehensive tour and description.
Gratitude To Our Partners This Season
This is a quick post to thank the many organizations and funders who have helped Mezzacello grow over the past three years! Here’s to more growth and adventure in 2025.
Winter Programming: Physical Electricity
Today in late November it was 0C here at Mezzacello Urban Farm. The construction of the kitchen and classroom has slowed, so since we won’t have a classroom ready this year, we built wind turbine wires in the kitchen!
Another Generation of Generators
My 2024/2025 CAHS intern working on a design challenge to help students better understand physical electricity. Here they are ready to install wind power, solar power and an electrical load.
What Confidence Looks and Feels Like
A quick blogpost about a moment in time in my 2024 BioEngineering Camp. Four interns - students trained to teach STEM subjects to other kids - but also learning new ideas from other interns.
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.
Introducing Camp Stories at Mezzacello
The beginning of a series of blog posts about my summer camp experiences here at Mezzacello Urban Farm. These happen all the time, but I rarely share them. I think I should start!