Ryan Koch
Executive Director
I am a licensed professional counselor associate (LPCA) in Lexington, KY. I completed my graduate degree (MA Counseling) at Asbury Theological Seminary in 2005. I have a background in experiential education with extensive training and practice in challenge course facilitation and wilderness trips. My training to date motivates me toward therapeutic interventions based on an action-reflection model in addition to traditional talk therapies.
My conversion to gardening was inspired in part by David and his family (see below). Since 2004 he has mentored me on his farm as well as in a garden in Lexington. I see now how gardening can promote the integration of one’s physical and mental health-it is a valuable component of a holistic education. I see too how gardening helps a community grow together by sharing work and food.
Rebecca Self
Education Director
A native to Lexington, I come to Seedleaf with a focus on education and community outreach. I received my degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2000. From there, I began my career in teaching. Initially serving as a science teacher at the high school level, I then moved on to middle school education, where I served as the science and math teacher at the Montessori Middle School of Kentucky, in Lexington, as well as their Sustainability Coordinator. In this role, I transitioned the school’s focus to an experiential, land-based curriculum. The students conducted their studies on a 12 acre piece of property, where they completed units involving field and stream studies, beekeeping, gardening, composting, stream restoration, rain garden construction, and other sustainable initiatives.
When I saw how well the students responded to this active, real-world educational method, I realized that similar innovative and engaging practices needed to be more widely available in our community. As I became familiar with the wonderful work that Ryan was doing at Seedleaf, I saw the great potential in Seedleaf’s individual and community focus in treating food access and the environment as a social justice issue. I am thrilled to be joining them in such noble work and look forward to helping Seedleaf expand its educational offerings.
David Wagoner
Farmer/Consultant
I have been creating gardens for nearly twenty years. After earning a Landscape Architecture degree at the University of Kentucky my interest in garden design and hands-on landscape gardening led to several years of free-lance work in the U.S. and France.
While living in Alexandria, Virginia, my interests tipped strongly in the direction of mainly gardening for food. I grew a kitchen garden in my small back yard, then spearheaded the creation of a community garden in my neighborhood. Further experience came while employed as a full-time gardener at George Washington’s Mt Vernon Estate.
The opportunity to return to Kentucky came in 1997 and I began to farm full time. With my wife, Arwen, I established Three Springs Farm Community Supported Agriculture which has become central Kentucky’s longest running CSA. I look forward to working closely with Ryan and Seedleaf in the coming years to share my organic gardening experience with Lexington’s community gardeners.