What is a coach?
Neighborhood Coaches are mentors for those interested in learning about growing food and assist linking their neighbor gardeners to resources. Coaches have flexibility and autonomy to host local workshops, work parties or take on neighborhood projects as their own time, resources and interest allow.
Am I qualified to be a Coach?
If you answer “yes,” please consider joining Anchor Gardens as a Neighborhood Coach:
- I’ve successfully grown food in the Anchorage area.
- I enjoy sharing my experience and any expertise in troubleshooting and helping others.
- I’m willing to help connect new gardeners to others in our network who can further our collective knowledge.
How do I engage with my neighbors?
Whenever a new gardener joins the network, the coach receives their survey answers and email. Please read what their needs or offerings are and reach out to them about how they can contribute or how you can find help for them. Introduce your neighbors to each other and keep those connections strong.
Send out periodic messages to your neighborhood. Engage them: ask if they would like a seed exchange/seedling exchange/ composting workshop, tours, etc? If there’s interest, then go ahead. Greet your neighbors on the street. Invite neighbors to events. Announce the availability of resources/classes both on Email and on FB if possible. Remember, we are attempting to make Anchorage a bunch of small towns.
Coaches have the flexibility and autonomy to host local workshops, work parties or take on neighborhood projects as their own time, resources and interests allow. Coaches are leaders and are encouraged to lead.
What’s the time commitment?
It’s up to you, but the more you put in, the more yield there will be. Understand that it’s not just a club you are signing up for, it’s signing up to have an impact on Food Security in Anchorage.
Examples: Time commitment for preplanned events is 2-2.5 hours. Time commitment for coach’s meetings is 90 min. 2x a month in the summer, or as needed. Time Commitment to go to a Community Council Meeting 1hr. Time commitment to stop by and do a house call on a garden, 30 min.
Currently available resources
- Regular meetings: Coaches gather on a regular basis over zoom to hear the latest news from across Anchorage, share successes and challenges in your own neighborhood, and learn new skills from your fellow coaches! Check the Calendar for dates/times of upcoming meetings.
- Material Distribution Sites: Anchor Gardens works to provide materials for building gardens. Each season, visit the Stockpile page.
Garden Methods
In addition to the “how to” resources compiled for gardeners on the Resources page, a more detailed Zoom presentation by Michele Wilbur on “How to build a Lasagna garden” is provided here for coaches. If you are not familiar with this method of garden bed establishment, please watch this video by clicking the link and entering the access code “6T^T09$2” when prompted.