Today was the first day of spring that I have to do planting maintenance at Mezzacello. One of my primary tasks was making sure both the animal, aquatic, and botanical species that we grow here have appropriate levels of the essential elements to thrive and grow. The animals are pretty well cared for at this …
With the spring comes the inevitable spring cleaning on an urban farm. My back gardens were a mess and the greenhouse… don’t even get me started. Without proper upkeep and care, the hard sun, the city pollution, and the rain, ice, and snow can be hard on equipment. One of my primary tasks this season …
Salts and other chemicals unlabeled are dangerous. This seems like it would be obvious until you face working a full-time job (that you love) and then cramming all the chores, ordering supplies online or from stores when funds are available or face a minor health emergency (or all of the above). Details slip through the …
When it comes to the animals at Mezzacello the question I get most often is: What do you do with your animals? The second question is: Do you name your animals? The short answers are; I use them in multiple ways to sustain my urban enclosed ecosystem. They give me a use for wasted food. …
When I first started Mezzacello five years ago I went in completely blind and ignorant about what farming really meant. I thought it would be grow and harvest – it would be happy and easy. But it’s really not. You learn you’re dealing with mother nature at her most elemental: whether you want to admit …
Quick Bean Soup While reading some notes by Jacques Pepin, I saw that he likes to keep cannelloni beans and chorizo on hand for a quick soup. All that he says in his note is that he puréed the beans and added the chorizo with some chicken broth and cream. So with that as a …
It’s springtime (well sort of… This is Ohio) and I am eager to expand my flocks of chickens and ducks so I can continue to work on my enclosed ecosystem here at Mezzacello. My New Zealand Rabbits are stable at five (two does and three bucks) and my fowl are mixed success. The chickens are …
