Installing a New Solar Array in Photos
A photo essay on installing a complete solar array atop a roof. Tomorrow I will finish wiring it all up and batteries.
Fall Harvest Update 2022
A brief update and photo essay of the gardens at Mezzacello mid fall 2022. There are some adaptations and adjustments, but that's life
Global Innovation Field Trip and the Bioreactor
A presentation about the design cycle and how I used it to move Mezzacello from simple to complex systems.
Practical Carbon Sequestration
Gardening is a great way to set carbon back into the earth. This is especially true if you are committed to compost.
Bakki Shower and Biofilter Combo
A slideshow of the pond systems in the fall of 2022. The Bakki Shower and the Biofilter systems. It's where nature meets tech!
Why Did The Chicken Cross The Road?
My neighbors know these animals are much more than citizens of Mezzacello, they are an integrated part of my ecosystem.
Water Conservation Systems
Water is a valuable and limited resource. Yes it can be reused, recycled, and is abundant - but only to a limit. Preserve water!
Boot Storage on an Urban Farm
My strategy for keeping boots accessible, safe and dry. Using the picket fence to store boots to keep the rain out.
Recycling Boxed Wine Bags
Preparing fertilizer with recycled boxed wine bags! Luckily my neighbors can provide plenty of wine bags and serve as testers as well
Get The Lead Out
Chicken farming group posted a story about high lead contamination in backyard flocks in Australia, my neighbors and I had our soil tested.
It’s Getting Hot In Here
As part of my continuing series of blogs about water as a resource, this blog discusses sublimation and vapor.
When Water Goes Missing
Two years ago this was a great mystery. We thought we had a leak in the pond. What I found shocked me. The atmosphere and plants!
Martian Zero-Dirt Soil Update 2022
It’s been a few years since I initiated the bioreactor and compost engine at Mezzacello. Time for a year two update.
10 Facts About Mezzacello (Part 1)
Le sigh... 10 facts is not nearly enough to describe the diversity and magic of Mezzacello effectively. Part 1
Passion Projects and My Mission
This is nothing new, when you want to change the world, and you have more than one opportunity to do it, then balance is key.
Carbon Footprint in a Yard
QuickVue at all the ways you can reduce your carbon footprint in your own backyard with a little effort time and Applied STEM
Water From Waste Part Two
After testing the design for a simple plastic solar still, we will build a better more efficient model with wood, metal and glass.
How the Bioreactor Works
A simple schematic of the bioreactor as it was originally designed. How the sun, wind, air, water, chemicals and compost all interact.
Care and Instructions for a Parterre Garden
The parterre garden has a long and storied history. It is a good system for gardening and is quite effective.
Parterre Herb Garden Update 2022
A quick update on the parterre herbal gardens. A note on how to how to harvest and preserve them. And they smell delightful.