Announcing Planting Justice new capital campaign for 2023

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Staff

Gavin Raders

Co-Founder + Co-Director + Leadership Council
gavin@plantingjustice.org

Gavin Raders is a co-founder and co-director of Planting Justice, a father to two amazing daughters, a social justice activist, and a permaculture demonstrator/teacher. For the past 17 years, he has dedicated his life to peoples’ movements for peace and social/economic/racial/environmental justice. Prior to Planting Justice, he studied the history, failures, and successes of social movements as a cultural anthropology student at UC Berkeley, and Read More

Any inquiries, please contact: gavin@plantingjustice.org

Salvador Mateo Escobar

Co-Director + Leadership Council
Pronouns: he/him

Sal was first introduced to Planting Justice during his senior year art class at Fremont High School in East Oakland, California, where he grew up. PJ’s education team established a garden of 8 raised beds at the school in 2010, and it was in this garden, that Sal first planted seeds, saw food grow naturally, and tasted his first fresh snap pea! Instantly grasping the importance of others having that same experience, that same year Sal and his very close friend Julio Madrigal received the opportunity to Read More

Lynn Vidal

Operations Director + Leadership Council
Pronouns: She/Him/They/Them
City: Berkeley, CA

Lynn has been on the Admin Team since April 1st 2022. We’ll find out if it’s just an April Fool’s joke. She heard about Planting Justice 11-12 years ago when she first worked for Causa Justa (then called Just Cause Oakland). Lynn’s favorite part of working at PJ is discovering its current stability impacts and gearing up to slipping foundations underneath the programs. Read More

She’s passionate about the future because, despite the common mindset, it’s very, very bright and Planting Justice will be a part of it. As the child of Depression Era parents, she was taught early about feeding yourself through the soil. Her family had Summer food gardens until her parents’ great walk. Camping, rock climbing, hiking, slow walks on the beach . . . have always been a source of inspiration and healing for this Boomer. As an original D&Der (1975) she qualifies as a blerd (black nerd) with a capital “B”. Loving most games, she can sometimes be easily distracted. A theater major, theater, movies, dance, music (live and recorded), often bring her to tears. Lynn is a futurist. Planting Justice is the future.

Nadia Barhoum

Operations Coordinator
Pronouns: she/her
City: El Sobrante, CA

Nadia grew up in the Bay Area and has been on the Farm Team since 2020. Her favorite part about working at PJ is getting to be in deeper relationship to the land and keeping her hands close to the earth. Read More

Andrew Chahrour

Sustainable Infrastructure Director + Leadership Council

Andrew grew up in Ohio and has devoted his work to our collective rights for healthy food & clean water for the last 18 years. Working with the Bureau of Land Management in Wyoming he documented the recession of Aspen stands, researched grazing strategies, and documented watershed impacts of federal livestock management practices. Read More

Education

Maya Salsedo

Education Program Director
Pronouns: she/they
City: Oakland, CA

As a high school student Maya attended a food justice internship where she learned about the corporate food system. It was a transformational experience, the first time Maya was able to make sense of the situation she found herself in: eating instant ramen served by a single parent who worked as chef at a farm-to-table restaurant. Read More

Bilal Coleman

Educator + Leadership Council

Bilal Coleman was born in Berkeley and raised in Oakland, CA. He is a parent of two and he enjoys spending time with both his children. He has a passion for health and personal fitness and giving back to the youth by sharing his personal experiences with the criminal justice system. He appreciates the way everyone at Planting Justice treats each other like family and has supported and accepted him as part of the family. Read More

Randy Rivera

Educator
City: Berkeley, CA

Randy is very excited to start his first year working with Planting Justice! He learned about the organization through a field trip he went on through an abolition class he took during his time at UC Berkeley. He enjoys filling his space with many many plants, some might say he even has too much but he doesn’t mind. He enjoys listening to music of different genres, dancing, spending time in nature, and nourishing himself through cooking. Read More

Although he has much to learn, Randy is passionate about food justice and abolition and looks forward to putting this into his work at Planting Justice.

Itzel Mercado

Educator
City: Oakland, CA

Itzel joined Planting Justice when she was in highschool and started as an intern in 2020. They found Planting Justice through Dewey Academy while she was a student and then turned into an intern. Itzel’s favorite part of working at PJ is when she gets to make smoothies, go to fruitvale bart station and hand it out to people. Read More

She is passionate about food justice because she knows that it can make a big difference in her community and impact a lot of peoples lives in so many different ways. In her free time, she likes to take pictures for upcoming athletes/artists/models (@itzelshoots on instagram), spend time with family and travel.

Media & Communications

Birhon Quizhpe

Media Associate
Pronouns: he/him
City: Oakland, CA

Birhon’s favorite part of working at PJ is all the amazing people that he works with and all of the support that he receives. Birhon is passionate about photography, he believes that pictures are able to tell numerous stories. He loves capturing the beautiful moments on camera, to be able to revisit them. In his free time he enjoys discovering new trails, and walkways to take in all of the beauty that nature has to offer.

Transform Your Yard

Bobby House

Permaculture Designer + Leadership Council
Pronouns: he/him
City: Oakland, CA

Bobby first began working at Planting Justice in 2020. As a returned citizen, Bobby, while incarcerated, became a long term member of IGP (The Insight Garden Program). Preceding his release, the IGP family introduced Bobby to Planting Justice. Bobby loves drawing, landscape design, and gardening, and the art of applying the principles of permaculture to his everyday life. Read More

Planting Justice is important to Bobby, as Bobby believes that without organizations like PJ who are willing to invest in the stability, futures and restoration of the systemically impacted, our societies will never be able to fully heal themselves and reach their full yield of potential.

Jasmine Brown

TYY Permaculture Designer
Pronouns: she/her
City: Oakland, CA

Jasmine joined Planting Justice in November of 2021. She earned a BA in history from Howard University and has volunteered on a variety of natural building and renewable energy projects. She completed green building trainings to become a LEED AP and a HERS rater. She has worked in the solar industry as an installer and a project manager. Read More

She has been learning about Permaculture for many years, and received her Permaculture Design Certificate in 2017. She has also worked as a tutor and a copy editor. Jasmine is the mother of one teen and loves working in her garden, drumming, and painting.

Nursery

Otis Spikes

Nursery Manager

Otis grew up in Sobrante Park and has lived here in the neighborhood for the past 40 years. After hearing about the Planting Justice Nursery & Aquaponics Farm Incubation Center, he came to apply for a job, and was quickly hired for his experience and expertise in irrigation construction, a skill he honed working for the City of Oakland’s Parks & Recreation Department. He’s excited to be a part of something BIG that will benefit the community of Sobrante Park.

julia toro

Nursery Office Manager
Pronouns: she/they
City: Oakland, CA

julia toro has been on the Nursery Team since the summer of 2021. They love the blending of plants and people that makes Planting Justice thrive. julia is passionate about environmental justice & indigenous sovereignty and cares deeply about our Re-Entry program and abolition. They have a degree in Botany from UC Santa Cruz, and a Master’s in Forestry from UC Berkeley. In their free time, they like to play board games, garden, and spend time with family and friends.

Sloan Thompson

Nursery Office Clerk
Pronouns: she/they
City: Oakland, CA

Sloan Thompson has been with Planting Justice since September 14. Sloan was introduced to Planting Justice (PJ) through a few of her friends and her mom. Sloan is a student herbalist and would love to learn at PJ how to grow plants. In addition, she is passionate about her child and enjoys spending time with her. Sloan believes in the importance of giving people second chances and likes how PJ makes that happen for many people in the community.

Rachel Adriano

Nursery Mother Team
Pronouns: she/her
City: Oakland, CA

Rachel joined Planting Justice in the Spring of 2020. She is currently beginning her academic journey in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Her goal is to merge trauma-informed health care and traditional healing. Rachel is a firm believer that food is medicine; in order to begin healing our bodies we need to first heal the soil in which our food grows. Rachel is grateful to be a part of Planting Justice where these things intersect. She enjoys spending time by the ocean, baking, & dancing.

Adela Flores

Nursery Propagation Team
City: Oakland, CA

Max Cadji

Nursery Mother Team Lead
City: Oakland, CA

Max Cadji is an urban gardener, a lover of fermented foods, and a community restorative justice activist. He lives in Oakland, Ca with his wife, two amazing kids, and his mom. In the past he has done community food work with People’s Grocery, Phat Beets Produce, North Oakland Restorative Justice Council, The Ecology Center and Self Help Hunger Program. His passion lies in community agroforestry work and has spent the last 17 years working with community groups planting trees in Southern Madagascar.

Jose Isordia

Nursery Field Team Lead

Bio coming soon!

Luis Ortega

Nursery Field Team Technician
Pronouns: he/him
City: Oakland, CA

Luis Ortega Jr.

Nursery Shipping Team
Pronouns: he/him
City: Oakland

Luis Ortega Jr. has been on the Nursery Shipping Team since October 2017. Luis was introduced to Planting Justice through the reentry program and his father, who also works at Planting Justice. Luis’s favorite part of working at Planting Justice is he is now able to get more knowledge about plants, and he is now able to identify many different types of plants. Luis is passionate about Art and the outdoors. He loves hiking, camping, and fishing. He believes in the work Planting Justice does for his community because he understands how hard it is for a previously incarcerated person to find a job.

Rogelio Rizo

Nursery Shipping Team

Rogelio joined Planting Justice in winter of 2019. He was first introduced to Planting Justice as an intern through a partner organization and later transitioned to the nursery crew as a nursery technician. Planting Justice’s work matters to Rogelio because it supports the community, helps people find jobs, get education, growing their food, and teaches sustainable living.

Gordon Limbrick

Nursery Shipping Team

Gordon “G-Lean”  Limbrick is a musician, entrepreneur, and community activist. A vital member of the Planting Justice team, Gordon supports ongoing operations of a 2-acre Nursery site and the development of a 3-acre Aquaponics site. Read More

Gordon has a strong legacy in the Sobrante Park community, supporting and hosting regular food drives, feeding unhoused neighbors, teaching health and food education classes for the Oakland public school district, hosting free holiday events and toy drives, school backpack giveaways and more. Gordon Limbrick is also a founding member of the Black Sobrante Park Community Healing Council which aims to preserve and support the rich legacy and people of Sobrante Park. Also known as “G-Lean Tha Fireboy”, Gordon is an accomplished musician, director and  music video producer.

Leroy Ray

Nursery Land Team

Bio coming soon!

David Carasquillo

Nursery Propagation Team
Pronouns: he/they
City: Oakland, CA

David has been on the Nursery Team since March 2021. They found Planting Justice through the Center of Employment Opportunities. David’s favorite part of working at PJ is humbleness. They are passionate about social justice, food sovereignty, andreducing recidivism, because they are our voices. In their free time, they like to listen to music, play basketball, and go bike riding.

Joseph Urias

Nursery Team

Bio coming soon!

Yennifer Flores

Nursery Propagation Team Lead
City: Oakland, CA

Cesar Fragoso

Nursery Propagation Team
Pronouns: they/them
City: Oakland, CA

Cesar joined Planting Justice in the fall of 2018. They are a neighbor who has experience in community organizing from previously working with the statewide environmental justice nonprofit CBE (Communities for a Better Environment) and the GSA (Gay Straight Alliance). They are also a member of the Sobrante Park RAC.

Diane Williams

Nursery Technician

Diane Williams brings to Planting Justice decades of experience as a social worker and public health educator. She is Native Alaskan and has been a resident of the Fruitvale district in Oakland since the 70’s. She previously brought her experience and energy to the Native American Health Center, Children’s Hospital, Alameda County Prison Health Services, and the Peralta Historical Hacienda and Museum. Read More

Arturo Solano

Nursery Technician
Pronouns: he/him
City: Oakland, CA

Arturo Solano has been on the Technician Team since June 2021. Arturo was introduced to Planting Justice by his good friend Jose Isordil. Arturo’s favorite part about working at Planting Justice is the people and the work that Planting Justice does for the community. He would love to stay around to see how far Planting Justice will go in the future. Arturo is passionate about plants and nature – he loves the outdoors and working with plants.

Mason Moore Jr.

Nursery Technician
City: Oakland, CA

Mason Moore Jr. has been on the Nursery Technician Team since July 2021. He was introduced to planting justice through reentry. Mason believes in the work that planting justice is doing his community. Mason had gardening jobs before, so he has a lot of experience working with plants. He is passionate about the outdoors and loves going fishing.

Simone Robinson

Nursery Mother Team
Pronouns: she/her
City: Oakland, CA

Simone Robinson has been on the Nursery Mother Team since July 2021. She found herself walking down the street one day when she came across the nursery. She then started volunteering and soon got hired. Simone’s favorite part of working at PJ is the plants. She is passionate about growing her food and working on the land. Simone is also a fantastic artist and painted a mural for PJ.

Joshua Wilkerson

Nursery Technician
Pronouns: he/him
City: Oakland, CA

Food Forest + Farm

Julio Madrigal

Farm Manager

Julio Madrigal grew up in Oakland, he has witnessed the struggles people have around food along with the health issues of malnutrition. Julio has had the opportunity to learn from people in his community and this has rooted his love for the Planting Justice community. Read More

NneJ Ke

Farm Steward + Leadership Council
Pronouns: the/ke
Huchiun Unceded Ohlone Land

NneJ started volunteering for PJ in 2015, primarily at the nursery, then transitioned to the farm team in December 2020. NneJ first discovered PJ from friends, then reconnected with PJ from a fundraising campaign to raise money for building the nursery. Read More

Damian Villa

Farm Steward

Transportation Services +
Administrative Support

Jie Wang

Accountant

Jie Wang is a Certified Public Accountant who specializes in non-profit billing for mental health, foster care, adoption, Title IV and more. Jie supports the Planting Justice Financial Committee with financial reporting, reconciliation, audit preparation, and annual tax preparation.

Lesbhia Morones

Spanish Interpretation

Bio coming soon!

All Staff

Sol Mercado

Reentry Coordinator + Nursery Propagation Team
Pronouns: she/her
City: Oakley

Sol has been with PJ’s Nursery Land team since December 2020, and recently became our Reentry Coordinator! She found Planting Justice through a garden program inside prison while serving a 16-year sentence. Sol’s favorite part of working at PJ is, how it teaches her how to connect with nature and how to get back to the community. Read More

Victoria Montaño (STLT)

Bio coming soon!

Jaime Ortega

Nursery Land Team

Maricela Perez

Nursery Propagation Team

Michael Garrison

Nursery Shipping Team Lead

Rigoberto Ortega

Nursery Technician
City: Oakland, CA

Rigoberto Ortega has been on the Nursery Technician Team since July 2020. Rigoberto was introduced to Planting Justice by his brother and father, who also work there. He is passionate about art and watching plants grow. Thanks to Planting Justice, he enjoys watching his peers and his community thrive.

Covonne Page

Nursery Land Team Lead + Leadership Council
Pronouns: he/him
City: Oakland, CA

Covonne Page has been with the Land Team Lead since February 2020. Covanne was introduced to Planting Justice by the community since he had lived there all his life. He remembers when PJ first moved there. Covanne is passionate about gardening because his family does a lot at home. He enjoys listening to music, hanging out with friends, and walking the dogs in his free time. He believes that Planting Justice works are important because they introduce fresh organic food to the community that otherwise would not have access to it.

Guillermo Ortega Jimenez

Nursery Land Team
Pronouns: he/him
City: Oakland, CA

Obichukwu Lebeke

Nursery Propagation Team
Pronouns: he/him
City: Oakland, CA

Thomas Gibson IV

Nursery Shipping Team
City: Berkeley, CA

Thomas Gibson IV has been on the Nursery Shopping Team since March 2022. He was introduced to Planting Justice through a friend. Thomas’s favorite part of working at Planting Justice is all the learning about plants and gardening he is receiving. It’s a good experience, and all the help Planting Justice offers the community. In addition, he is passionate about his family, especially his two-year-old kid, and he enjoys watching and playing basketball.

LeJeun Clarke Sr

Nursery Shipping Team

Eric Soto

Nursery Field Team