Applied STEM

The Foodist: Pasta with Mussels

This is a superb recipe and a favorite here at Mezzacello. It is also the FIRST recipe we ever posted here!

Pasta with mussels
Pasta with mussels and garlic wine sauce

Watering an Urban Garden Efficiently

Living in the city means living in a heat bubble. Watering efficiently is a challenge. My solution to the problem.

Watering an Urban Garden Efficiently
View of the urban garden ecosystem from above

A Tale of North and South Korea: or East Mezzacello & West Mezzacello

North and South Korea: East and West Mezzacello North and South Korea is at the heart of Mezzacello. We always knew we were of two minds when we designed Mezzacello. Rick wanted Pretty and Plentiful, I wanted Functional and Farmland;…

New fountain garden

The Neighbors Truck

Mezzacello is an enclosed sustainable urban ecosystem, but it is also part of a larger ecosystem of community that is our awesome neighbors. Community is like a garden, I didn’t know this but I quickly discovered it to be true….

Jim with our neighbor Randy in front of his trusty Ford Ranger.

The Perfect Cover Crop for Unsightly Chain Link Fence

When we started building Mezzacello, we first needed to secure Mezzacello. The perimeter is 360 linear feet. The front elevation that fronts North 20th Street came pre-fenced with a wrought iron fence circa sometime in the 20th Century and still…

The original state of the yard, just after we removed all the overgrown vegetation.

Preserving Eggs 1860 Style

Every summer I waste eggs that I don’t get out to people in need or I can’t eat fast enough. I collect fresh chicken and duck eggs. I bring them in to the house confident that their natural bloom will…

Being a Renaissance Smurf

Y’all remember the Smurfs? When I was in middle school every Saturday morning I would watch “The Smurfs”. I loved the message of community and resourcefulness. The singular villain, Gargamel, was a stand in for the cruel world and later on…

A Garden of People and Ideas

Mezzacello is an enclosed urban garden ecosystem. There are many gardens on the property. One of the most important is the gardens of people and ideas. What do I mean when I say a garden of people and ideas? Well,…

2022/2023 Internships
Volunteer Olivia helping to rabbit proof the urban garden beds.