The Boy Scouts Were Right; Always Be Prepared
I found a duck on a clutch of eggs and rather than act right then to help, I did the wrong thing. Be a boy scout.
Fishy Business
When you start something new like an entire garden system with multiple gardens and systems, things surprise you, like the fishy business.
Animal Harvest Day at Mezzacello
This one is a bit grim, but super important if you want animals in your ecosystem and not just pets. Everything matters.
Musings on Energy
The blog post where I muse on the intersection between, life, art, physics and metaphysics. A little Rock and Roll, Voltaire, and Newton, with some Clerk Maxwell!
Sustainability and Renewal
The secret to sustainability is finding ways to reintegrate waste and produce more than you started with. Repeat and add diversity.
Fear, Necessity, Economics and the Future
Hence Mezzacello Exists. This is a reflection on the past, the present, and the future.
The Ghost Foundations of Mezzacello
Since 1868 when the house was built, there have been three houses built and destroyed here to the south of us. The foundations remain.
Too Much Nitrogen, Not Enough Nutrients
After a hopeful start, I realized I missed the mark on nutrients, minerals and compost vs manure. Another season.
A Sustainable Aquatic Ecosystem
A big hole, bigger dreams, some resources, disasters, and a summer later, we have a pond. And there were ducks.
Practical Water Management
Water is one of the holy trinity of resources in an urban ecosystem, alongside biomass, and flora and fauna.
Urban Farm, Urban Problems
Urban Farm, urban problems vandals, theft and working out the path of sustainability and ecosystems. We rebuild and keep working.
The City/Farm Garden
The Systems Approach to life expects one to look at pattern, process, and structure. That's what we have done here at Mezzacello.
Why "Poor Boys Have Poor Ways"?
This was our original inspiration for starting Mezzacello. We had vision, but no funds. Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, “Poor boys have poor ways”, and “Living in the past, for the future”. These lay at the heart of what Mezzacello Urban Farm is.
How We Discovered Mezzacello
The Origin Story of Mezzacello as told by Rick. Who would buy a property in the city and then adapt it completely to another use? Little did we know how much this space would evolve over time.
My First Garden
Understanding and Exploring the Role of Balance in Our Relationship with the Natural World is a critical 21st Century skill.
Five Years of Innovation Part 1
After five years of continuous building and innovation, we step back and review the changes to Mezzacello since 2017.