Urbanfarming
Why is it Called “Mezzacello”?
Rick and I had been searching for a house in Old Towne East (a downtown residential neighborhood in Columbus, OH) for a few years. We talked about what we wanted to do with a house, and what it would be…
O Fortuna or the Cost of Life is Death
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…
Greek Gyro Omelette
Rick made this up this morning with duck eggs from the coop and gathered veggies from the potager garden and herb parterres. Feta and milk came from #GiantEagle Straight to the recipe! 4 duck eggs (6 chicken) 1/4 cup milk…
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…
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…
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…
When An Urban Farm is More Urban
When the line between work and farming becomes most obvious is usually where those two worlds collide, like you see here.
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…
