Who We Are
Welcome to the UVA Community Garden! Our team is committed to creating connections among residents, students, and staff through shared learning and sustainable practices while cultivating vibrant green spaces for community building. Offering rentable plots, group workdays and community events, we strive to nurture relationships and provide an inviting environment to connect with nature.
Tim Cumagun
Program Manager
I'm the Bear Pantry Manager at the Village and enjoy gardening. I was born in the Philippines and raised in the Bay Area. I went to college at Gonzaga University in Washington. I'm fascinated by food systems and specifically the intersection between food and culture. My hope is that the garden can be an enjoyable place for village residents to nurture their gardens and build community with their neighbors.
Ben Carmeli
Program Assistant
With a B.Sc in soil science and experience in farming, gardening and orcharding, I am deeply interested in permaculture and regenerative practices for managing the land. I believe that a thriving soil ecosystem is the key for healthy soil and healthy food.
Sabine Ellis
Program Assistant
Sabine is from Los Angeles, CA. She is an Art Practice major and a transfer student at UC Berkeley.
She is excited to use her creativity and work alongside the UVA Community Garden Team.
She is excited to use her creativity and work alongside the UVA Community Garden Team.
Rai Zaragoza
Program Assistant
Hello, I'm Rai Zaragoza Lemus! A proud first-generation Indigenous Chicano student at UC Berkeley.
My journey is deeply rooted in embracing and preserving ancestral land practices and food cultivation. I firmly believe in the importance of reconnecting with our ancestral knowledge and learning to live in harmony with the land.
My journey is deeply rooted in embracing and preserving ancestral land practices and food cultivation. I firmly believe in the importance of reconnecting with our ancestral knowledge and learning to live in harmony with the land.
Melissa Middleton
Community Assistant
I am an Ethnic Studies major with 15 years of gardening experience. I am passionate about growing food, medicinal herbs, and flowers.
I believe everyone should have access to affordable, delicious, nutritious produce,
and am interested in how small-scale urban farms and gardens can help feed local communities.
I believe everyone should have access to affordable, delicious, nutritious produce,
and am interested in how small-scale urban farms and gardens can help feed local communities.
Khaldoun Allatayfeh
Program Assistant
Khaldoun is from Jordan and resides in UC Berkeley University Village. With a background in HVAC, he brings his skills as a handyman to the community. Growing up in a farming family, Khaldoun has extensive experience in agriculture and is eager to contribute his expertise to the UVA Garden team, making the garden more user-friendly for fellow gardening enthusiasts.
Melissa Soria
Program Assistant
Coming Soon...
Shawn Middleton
Program Assistant
Shawn has a BA in Humanities and Communication and an English Teaching Credential from Cal State Monterey Bay. He loves to spend time in the UVA garden with his partner Melissa and their 3 ½ year old son Owen. Shawn has a fondness for ducks, worms, and bees.
