Employee Spotlight | Craig Madden

Employee Spotlight | Craig Madden

May 27, 2019

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May Employee Spotlight
Introducing resident Chef, Craig Madden!  

Craig Madden

Craig has been a great member of our team for the last few years. Craig specializes in vegetable gardens since his past career was as a chef.

 

Growing veggies has always been tricky for most people so if Craig is on your property don’t be afraid to ask him the tomato question you have been meaning to get answered or even ask him how to preserve your veggies for future use.

 

Craig lives with his wonderful wife and daughter & they love to enjoy all of San Diego’s natural beauty: hiking, camping, and growing veggies in their backyard.

 

If you see Craig out and about make sure to remind him to stay off his skateboard so he doesn’t get hurt again! ?

Thanks for all the hard work and dedication, Criag!

Let’s get to know Craig a little better…

Q: How long have you been at MHN?

I´ve been with MHN for nearly 2 years. Before that, I was a chef who fell in love with growing the food I was used to cooking. I took the job with MHN to learn about the gardening world from some of the best in the business.

 

Q: Favorite part of the job?

I really enjoy working with our clients who are active and avid gardeners. Getting in the dirt, side by side with a client reminds me of cooking for people. Gardening brings out the best in people, just like a great meal. I´ve also really enjoyed learning to care for trees. I never would have thought that trees would captivate me the way that they have. Pruning a tree is some of the most relaxing and satisfying work I do.

 

Q: How has MHN helped in your career development?

I was so fortunate to have found the Palafox family and Mission Hills Nursery. They were willing to take on someone who had never worked in their industry and allowed me the chance to get hands-on experience in garden and plant care. My budding business and it´s growing success are directly related to my experience at Mission Hills Nursery. I could not have learned this much, this fast any other way and I am forever grateful for that.

 

Q: What do you like most about MHN?

I love the family atmosphere. I don´t do the corporate environment well. I like that this place feels like a family every day. Toni treats us all like her kids, Fausto is always giving us a hard time about some fashion choice we´ve made and Tiger is the always available big brother.

 

Q: What do you do when you are not at MHN?

I spend a lot of time gardening at home with my wife and 6-year-old daughter. I also teach a preschool gardening class and my daughters old preschool. Mostly, I spend as much time as I can with my family. We camp, we hike, we bike around the lake, sometimes we just hang out.

From all of us at Mission Hills Nursery we want to thank Craig for being a part of our team. Next time you see Craig, give him a hard time about his skateboard skills! ?

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