botany
Not All Calcium is the Same
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…
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;…
Why We Do Everything Ourselves
It’s not just because we are poor. We do everything at Mezzacello because I believe in this mission. I could hire it out, yes. But I could not maintain it. I would never be able to do this. It takes…
Parterre Gardens, Guerrilla Gardens
In the ongoing mythology of Mezzacello the idea of a DMZ between “North and South Korea” i.e. the pretty and plentiful gardens has been a sacred one. We both of us decided we needed a neutral ground to rest and…
Being a Shiva Diva at Mezzacello
I post a lot on here about the urban ag technology and methods I employ at Mezzacello. The fact is, I just find it all so fascinating – and counter to everything our society expects. What can I say? I…
Elements of an Ecosystem
This is the aquatic ecosystem at Mezzacello, also known as the pond. Arrayed around it are all the input and output streams that come from this one ecosystem and will go to other 4 ecosystems at Mezzacello in turn. The…
Harvest, Hunger, and the Art of Preservation
The harvesting of food is the single greatest chore in urban farming, the next greatest is preserving it!
Ducks are Garden Ninjas
I left the gate open from the chicken yard to the potager garden for 10 seconds. I know it was 10 seconds because I was programming an Arduino system for a solar powered water pump. I was programming it for…
