STEM

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 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…

Tech, Dirt, Rain, and Security

Security is essential on an urban farm. From cameras to drones to locks I am always looking for ways to improve security. Locks are my nemesis. I forget combinations, I lose keys. So when Amazon offered up a weatherproof biometric…

A biometric fingerprint lock that does not work with muddy fingers.

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!

Potatoes, onions, tomatoes, and duck eggs collected from the garden and livestock gardens at Mezzacello.

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…

Ducks will take any opportunity to get in to the fenced potager garden for the primo bugs.

Some of my Dreams are Squashed

In my ongoing effort to preserve as much food as possible I’ve had to experiment with alternative ways of storing food. I’ve done a lot of research and consulting a lot of desperate agricultural exports.  From extension offices to Amish…

Yellow and Green Squash Stored in a Basket Wrapped Tightly In Paper in a Dark Cellar.

Not All Mulch Is The Same

Not all mulch is the same or as good for the soil. I found this out this summer at Mezzacello with my burlap mulch experiment. I’ve written about using burlap as mulch before and I still swear by it. But…

Fabric grade burlap bought at JoAnn Fabrics. Cheaper and much more effective and long lasting.

Preserving Eggs: A Six-Month Update

My mission at Mezzacello is to Grow, Maintain, Sustain, and Explain. This blog post aims to do all of that at once. If you are looking for details on how to get started preserving eggs, see more here. It’s important…

Preserving eggs to share with families and the elderly