Patricia Becker has been with Common Ground since 1993. First as Educational Programs Manager and in 2000, she became the Center Manager. Patricia spent several years living and working at Hidden Villa Organic Farm and Wilderness Preserve where she held a variety of positions, concluding as Manager of the Volunteer Programs. Patricia is a previous Ecological Farming Association Board Member where she served as Secretary for several years. She is currently on the Ecological Farming Conference Planning Committee. She participates with the Peninsula Macrobiotic Community. Additional Patricia has a special talent for teaching Anusara yoga and macrobiotic dietary guidelines in an easy and practical way. Learn more at "Feel Better Now" or Facebook page.

Eileen Molloy - grew up in the Bay Area and first became interested in gardening as a child when helping her father plant fruit and nut trees in their San Jose backyard. She gardens at her Barron Park home and has 2 hens, a Rhode Island Red and an Ameraucana. She is very happy to be working with the friendly and knowledgeable staff at Common Ground and enjoys meeting the wonderful community of gardeners who come in every day.

Joe De Maio ... after retiring from Aerospace, I started to volunteer at Common Ground. Before long I was on the staff. I love working here. The customers and other staff are great. We share many things, like interest in a plant-based diet and yoga practice. I really like that Common Ground is about nurturing people and the earth. I have bought a house. I am putting what I learn at Common Ground to work at my house. My front yard is a mix of California natives and low-water herbs. Something is blooming almost all year round. My backyard is devoted to edibles. Most of the plants came from our store. I am really blessed to be able to help Common Ground help people to walk more lightly on the earth.

Mari Matsui I came to the Bay Area six years ago from Kyoto, Japan. I was looking for work in a green-related field to complement my studies with the Department of Environmental Horticulture and Design at Foothill College. After attending a class at Common Ground, I pursued an internship. The time has passed like a dream, working as the Saturday Class Hostess. I set up the classroom, welcome people at the check-in table, control room temperature, clean up, sweep the floor, wipe the shelves, clean and water plants and plant starts, display new arrival plants, find plant signs, check-in deliveries, place book orders, supply inventory, recycle old calendars by transforming them into envelopes, dig soil at the demonstration garden, and create an effective and pretty window sun shield, which is under construction. The advice I had from Patricia was to think how I could make customers feel happy at Common Ground so that they would be a part of our community. I admire her philosophy and passion to run this non-profit organization. I love to come to work here not only for learning new things in classes and at the Center, but also for meeting people. Common Ground has an incredibly harmonious whole, which makes me feel fortunate to be part of the staff here.

Stephanie Erskine - grew up on the San Francisco Peninsula. Always a nature lover, I was fortunate to grow up in an area with open space. I spent a lot of time exploring the trees, rock formations and landscapes near my home. After working in the medical lab, and pharmaceutical businesses for many years, I decided I needed a career change, and to explore my creative nature. While still working, I went back to school taking various courses in Art and Design at the UC Extension in San Francisco. I took some courses in Landscape Architecture and Garden Design, and I realized plants and landscapes are a passion, and I needed to follow that. In 2008, I completed the Environmental Horticulture and Design program at Foothill College. In 2008, I went to work for Blue Sky Farms, a native plant nursery in Half Moon Bay, where I learned more about drought tolerant and California native plants. My own landscape at home is starting to resemble the native coastal scrub that surrounds El Granada, where I live. Sprinkled around that are fruit trees, and plants from New Zealand, Australia and the Mediterranean areas of the world. These plants are tough, and like the same climate as our San Francisco Bay Area, dry summers and wet winters. In 2010 our Masters watercolor class in Botanical Illustration through Strybing Aboretum participated in the Chomp II exhibit at The Conservatory of Flowers in San Francisco. The artists completed watercolors and pen and Ink paintings of carnivorous plants. We co exhibited with a garden of very unique and interesting carnivorous plants. All proceeds from sales went to the Conservatory. I'm happy to be at Common Ground, exploring a new phase of horticulture, working with a nice group of people, excellent volunteers, and very interesting, knowledgeable customers.

In Loving Memory

Donald B. Larson

Beloved Teacher and Friend

June 27, 1963 to December 3, 2011