Mezzacello Urban Farm In a Nutshell
Mezzacello Urban Farm In a literal nutshell
Mezzacello Urban Farm in a nutshell is a quick look at the who, what, where, when, and how of Mezzacello. We are at an inflection point and we need to focus on future growth. Here is the data about Mezzacello Urban Farm you need to know.
Private Residence with an 1868 Italianate townhouse and two adjacent vacant lots to the south
A 501(C)3 non-profit charged with educating the general public with skills, experiences, and resources for creating food, resources, and energy
A hybrid entity that operates with a model of personal property and public sharing of resources, skills, and trainings
Eight ecologies that are unique, enclosed, and deeply integrated into a model of sustainability we call a “food oasis”
Gardens, livestock, a pond, trees, traditional farm equipment, composting, and pollinators
4 STEM labs (livestock, energy, bioengineering, and biochemistry) that are fully stocked, research stations, mobile data access and sharing, livestock exploration
4 Mobile Labs four outreach (Data, Livestock, Bioengineering, and Chemistry)
100% renewable power (Solar, Wind, Batteries, and Mechanical), as well as rain and grey water reclamation and purification stations
Courses, design challenges, and camps that cover everything from quantum effects in nature to how to hatch a chicken egg
Robust, open-source, and inclusive library of design challenges, blogs, and resources online at Mezzacello.org
Leadership from the founder with 21+ years experience in design, engineering, education, STEM, invention, mentorship, and data science backgrounds
Integrated leadership built from students who loved the coursework and given the opportunity to learn, train, and teach took that leap and became “MenTerns” (Mentor + Intern)
Proven track record and balance sheet that reflects seven consecutive years of consistent resource production and closed loop sustainability from systems in use here at Mezzacello Urban Farm
80% of the systems in use here at Mezzacello Urban Farm were designed, built, tested, and modified by studenst and MenTerns in our robust and hands-on summer camps and workshop experiences`
100% of the systems developed here at Mezzacello Urban Farm has been use-tested through 18 months and documented for success fail
30% of those unique modifications that are 100% student led have persisted and expanded here at Meezacello Urban Farm
4,300 unique students have been enrolled, engaged, and inspired in our Summer Camps, Workshops, Community Outreach, and School Visits since 2017.
PROS and CONS
PROS
Integrates agriculture, ecology, energy, and sustainability from the past, with the present, and extends it into the future
Open-source model, lessons, and accessible mobile labs available for any community to implement and replicate
Fully sustainable as a standalone model for subsistence and resources
This does NOT include grains, dairy, or pork/beef as those products and livestock are not accessible due to public health regulations
Fully commited and prepared to innovate and adapt to changing climate, demographic, and economic crisis
CONS
Non-traditional and not an easy sell to investors
Private residence and public non-profit model is a hard-sell to investors and banks
Lack of funding and public awareness hampers our ability to grow and invest in innovation and outreach
Unfortunate reliance on a grant-funded economic model was destroyed by DOGE (-$75K in 2025)
No funds to sufficiently advertise or promote our model and programs
No real awareness of Mezzacello Urban Farm because it is located in downtown Columbus, OH
People expect farms to be in the country and overlook the real and demonstrable impact Mezzacello Urban Farm has had in 10 years
Mezzacello Urban Farm believes it is counter-productive to take urban kids out to the country, observe, and then return to a food desert ready to apply new ideas
Building a dream whose time has come - alone - has been financially destabilizing
Who, Why, What, How, and When
WHO:
Mezzacello Urban Farm was started in 2015 by Jim Bruner and Richard Riley. In 2015 the two began converting the abandoned property into functional gardens and structures. This would result in the creation of a formal garden structure in the east half of the garden, and an urban garden structure in the west half.
WHY:
Mezzacello is a love letter to gardening, wellness, and sustainability. The south-facing gardens were designed to serve as an urban garden for the purposes of beauty and leisure. It was a haven during the COVID19 Lockdown of 2020-2021. It was then that the owners realized there was so much more that could be done with Mezzacello.
The feeding tube years
Mezzacello was also an existential response to a major medical condition. Mr. Bruner does not have a functional esophagus. In 2004 a genetic immune response disease destroyed his esophagus. In 2007 his esophagus was removed and a feeding tube was installed through his abdomen directly into his stomach.
A fistula (artificial tissue grown hole) was left in his throat to allow saliva to drain. Sanitary napkins were worn over the fistula to collect saliva. This is why Mr. Bruner wears a bowtie to this day. In 2009 the Cleveland Clinic rebuilt his esophagus using his existing stomach. Food was on the menu again, but with a catch.
Digesting and dreaming
As a result, Mr. Bruner cannot eat processed food. Fresh food without sugars or added fats are a dietary requirement. in addition to the fresh food control, Mr. Bruner must lay flat for 30 minutes every time he eats sold food, as the modified vertical stomach will not process food unless it is made horizontal.
The two years lived with a medical feeding tube between 2007 and 2009 gave Mr. Bruner extraordinary insight into the way the average person interacts with food. A promise was made that if the opportunity to eat solid food ever returned, Mr. Bruner would commit himself to teaching others how to best optimize the creation of food, resources, and sustainability.
Two of the amazing MenTerns at Mezzacello Urban Farm
Mezzacello Urban Farm is that response. From 2015 to 2026 Mrs Riley and Bruner have been building the future of localized sustainable agriculture and applied STEM innovation. Mezzacello started with the initial 2014-2015 interviews with the Amish community. That was extended with the complete integration Design Thinking and applied STEM intengration technologies from the PAST Foundation. After COVID19 Mezzacello Urban Farm adopted a strategy to integrate all 17 of the UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Mezzacello Urban Farm was purpose built to grow, maintain, sustain, and explain life, wellness, and career readiness for kids, families, schools, and our community.
WHAT:
In 2021 Mezzacello Columbus, LLC was created to serve as the non-profit business unit for converting the urban farm located at 33 North 20th Street, Columbus, OH 43203 into a non-profit business. The goal of this business was to extend the casual research and tours that had been taking place at Mezzacello in its partnership with The PAST Foundation.
The sheds being built by transported Amish men
The PAST Foundation served as the fiscal sponsor for Mezzacello Columbus, LLC. Mezzacello was awarded an Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation grant and the gardens were refactored into the four shed central installation that exists today. In 2024 a loan was obtained to rehab the house at Mezzacello and add an attached classroom that would create an enclosed data lab and allow access to the kitchen for cooking classes.
In 2025, $75K in awarded grants were canceled as a result of DOGE cuts. This severly limited the operational capacity of Mezzacello Columbus, LLC and Mezzacello Urban Farm. Work on the attached sustainability lab halted as a result. This has hurt Mezzacello Urban Farm severly as there are now no resources to advertize, partner, or grow programs.
HOW:
Mezzacello Urban Farm runs programming that is tightly integrated into the mission of grow, maintain, sustain, explain. All programs (summer camps, workshops, community presentations, and shool outreach events) include a component of Animal integration, vegetable integration, and STEM integration.
Mezzacello Urban Farm is unique in its methodology of applying Amish principles of sustainable agriculture and 21st-Century technology and STEM-powered career readiness integration. Attendees to our programs get a unique insight into clean hands integration and dirty hands experiences.
All programs feature automation, robotics, purification, energy renewables, and data science AND soil biology, water and soil recapture strategies, animal and vet tech science, gardening, composting, and fertilizer synthesis. Both tracks are necessary to fully embrace the sustainability we need to achieve as a society in the 21st Century.
WHEN:
Usually through the spring and summer and into fall. The failure to complete the Sustainability lab attached to the house was a blow. That would have allowed us to extend programming into the winter and into evenings.
