The Fairfield County Master Gardeners had a successful collaboration and a fun and productive day of teaching and gardening when they recently hosted the International Coaching Federation (ICF) Connecticut Charter Chapter at their Demonstration Garden at the Fairfield County Extension Center in Bethel. This event was held during ICF’s annual International Coaching Week (ICW) in May. The event occurred in the 3000-square-foot organic vegetable garden that Master Gardener volunteers have tended for over 10 years. The garden donates hundreds of pounds of produce to area food pantries each year and also serves as a teaching and demonstration garden.
The International Coaching Federation (ICF) is the leading global organization for coaches and coaching. ICF is dedicated to advancing the coaching profession by setting high standards, providing independent certification, and building a worldwide network of trained coaching professionals. Members may be various types of professional coaches, but all accredited coaches must adhere to the organization’s strict professional, educational, and ethical requirements. Each year the organization has a theme for its International Coaching Week. “Sowing the Seeds of Coaching” was ICF Connecticut’s theme this year and included a day of giving back to the community. Several ICF Connecticut coaches came to lend a hand in the Extension Demo Garden and learn the best gardening practices from experienced Master Gardeners. Working under Master Gardener team leaders, coaches learned how to correctly sow vegetable seeds such as bush beans, cucumbers, summer and winter squash, and radishes.
“Coaching is a lot like gardening” Master Gardener Lisa Greene commented. “… You have to loosen up a plant’s roots, so they’ll spread and thrive. It’s a good idea to prune off flower buds from new transplants so they can put energy into building a strong foundation first. These analogies and metaphors definitely resonated with our volunteers,” she continued. Using plants grown from seed by Master Gardeners, coaches also learned how to correctly plant tomato, eggplant, and pepper plants as well as herbs, and annual flowering companion plants that draw pollinators and beneficial insects. Proper mulching techniques were emphasized as two cubic yards of mulch were spread over the raised beds and other areas of the garden.
Advanced Master Gardener and ICF coach Jean Stetz-Puchalski serves on the board of directors for ICF Connecticut and suggested the partnership. Jean actively leads and participates in MG projects and initiatives aimed at preserving native plant species, increasing biodiversity in the landscape, and promoting sustainable practices. She selected the Demo Garden Project as a way to encourage a connection between learning and serving, foundational values for both organizations and to highlight her MG home base at the Fairfield County Master Gardener office, a significant resource to the region.
“As an executive leadership coach and Advanced Master Gardener, the integration of horticultural knowledge and Master
Gardener principles creates an opportunity for learning, encouraging leaders to draw inspiration from the resilience and adaptability of nature,” Jean shared. “Inviting a partnership between ICF and The Fairfield County Master Gardeners during ICW served to inspire my fellow coaches to connect and explore these opportunities for themselves, while also offering the opportunity to bring visibility to the Master Gardener program, and in particular, this important Demo teaching garden that serves to educate the public as well as addresses food insecurity in the region.”
ICF-CT highlighted this project and the Master Gardener Program to the ICF global coaching community, over 60,000 members worldwide, during ICW through the “Sowing the Seeds of Coaching” initiative. “Thank you to my mentor Sandi Wilson, Fairfield County Master Gardener Program Coordinator, the Fairfield County Master Gardener Demo Garden project leads Barbara Stauder and Andrea Sarnik, as well as all of the MG volunteers, who opened the garden gates to learning and serving during ICW 2024,” Jean said. “Master Gardeners and coaches, we are a welcoming group. It has been an honor to cultivate this connection which we will continue to grow.”
Visitors are welcome to tour the demonstration garden, observe best practices, and most importantly ask gardening questions. The beautiful day with ICF included a short history of Extension and the Master Gardener program by Fairfield County Program Coordinator, Sandi Wilson, and an introduction to the International Coaching Federation by Jean Stetz-Puchalski. Afterward, the coaches and Master Gardeners broke into groups to get growing! Many hands make light work, and many tasks were completed by lunchtime.
“It was great to share our garden and its philosophy with the volunteers,” said Advanced Master Gardener Barbara Stauder, Co-Captain of the Demonstration Garden. “They were so enthusiastic and jumped right into every activity, including harvesting, planting and even hauling mulch. We accomplished so much with their help, which will result in healthy produce to provide for the food insecure in our community.” Both groups enjoyed the collaboration and experience and a few coaches even expressed interest in becoming Certified Master Gardeners in the future!
Article by Sandra Wilson, Fairfield County Master Gardener Program Coordinator