Meet the Staff

We call them the Yard Staff. You know them as the folks who water, weed, trim, transplant, load, unload, and do just about anything else to keep Berkeley Hort running smoothly. Many of these people are in a sort of an immersion program here, learning more about horticulture in order to someday be on our sales crew. Others simply enjoy the camaraderie and ability to be outside in any weather. I’ve decided in this issue to introduce a couple of these cheerful workers.

Francisco Castro

Best known around here as “the fix-it guy”, Francisco currently has the longest running tenure on our yard crew since starting at BHN in 1992. Born and raised in Guatemala City, he went on to work there at Goldsmith Seeds (now Syngenta), a multinational flower seed company where he held a position as Field Manager during the 1970’s. Later, spending a year at a kibbutz, he honed his skills in Agricultural Machinery and Irrigation practices. As luck would have it, turmoil in his homeland (both social and seismic) brought him to the U.S., and to us. The rest is history.

A charming family guy who loves to chat about community events and local lore; say hola to Frannie on your next nursery visit.

Conrad “Leander” Brotz

Over the years, we’ve had good experiences hiring local high school students to help out with watering, maintenance, moving stock, and assisting with customer carry-outs. This is how we met Leander. In the summer of 2006, before his senior year at Berkeley High we heard about this polite, energetic kid with a “wicked sense of humor”, and decided he sounded like a good fit at BHN. Now that he has finished his undergraduate studies at Vassar, he’s back to working full time at the nursery.

He oversees our Aquatic Plant department, including the fish pond and water features so beloved by youngsters and adult shoppers alike. Graduate school is in the planning sometime later this year for Leander, and I’m guessing that he’ll also be spending some time with family in Germany. Thank you friend!