Nashville Foodscapes began with one person, one shovel, and one truck, built as a sole proprietorship with little separation between work and personal life. As the company grew, so did the headaches, and with it a deeper question: could a business devoted to ecological regeneration and community revitalization be structured in a way that truly reflected those same values?

In 2017, an employee introduced the idea of worker-owned cooperatives. That idea became a turning point. Cooperative ownership offered a way to align the regenerative principles practiced in the field (resilience, interdependence, and integrity) with the governance of the company itself. It also created a pathway to retain and uplift skilled, passion-driven people who saw foodscaping as a career and a livelihood.

In 2021, Nashville Foodscapes transitioned into a worker-owned cooperative, establishing a clear and attainable path for employees to become owners. The journey has not been easy. In this keynote, Jeremy Lekich speaks candidly about the challenges cooperatives face, from growing pains to the complexity of shared decision-making.

He also highlights what has emerged through this journey: practiced democracy, deeper accountability, stronger resilience, and a more equitable distribution of value. Cooperative ownership is a practical way to exist within—and actively reshape—an economic system that often rewards extraction over care. By reimagining ownership, we can build businesses that support sustainable prosperity for people and the land alike. 

Come to the talk with your overhead expenses, estimated hours billed, materials costs, labor burden numbers.
 

We'll use this to calculate markups on labor and materials and create an estimate together.

Meredith grew up in rural Vermont, where time in the woods sparked her lifelong love for the environment. After a brief chapter in environmental research and consulting, she dove headfirst into organic farming. By apprenticing on farms around the world, then managing a VA farm supplying top DC restaurants, she grew a deep understanding of growing food. Inspired by DC’s abundant pockets of green, Meredith launched Love & Carrots in 2011 with a bold mission: to turn urban backyards into lush edible landscapes and reconnect people with their food. She believes growing your own food is a radical act of self-reliance—and that outdoor spaces have the power to shape who we are. Meredith received the DC Mayor’s Sustainability Award, the Green America Award, and was named one of Business Insider’s Top 50 ‘Coolest’ Businesses in America.

How to create a company culture that embodies your values and goals. How to create a workplace where people can thrive and grow. How to impact your community through creating an earthworks, people centric business based on relationships.

Panelists include:

• Brandy Hall, Founder, Owner, Shades of Green Permaculture Brandy Hall is the Founder & CEO of Shades of Green Permaculture, the Mayor of Pine Lake, Georgia, and author of The Complete Guide to Home Permaculture. A regenerative designer with more than sixteen years of experience, she has helped thousands of homeowners and organizations transform landscapes into resilient, water-wise, ecologically productive systems. As the author of her forthcoming book, she offers practical, research-informed tools for creating climate-adaptive, life-supporting home landscapes. Under her leadership, Shades of Green made the Inc. 5000 list — a recognition that underscores their success in combining ecological purpose with business growth. She and her team believe that Shades of Green stands as a proof-of-concept that ecological integrity, cultural impact, and financial health can go hand in hand. As mayor, she champions policies that center affordability, environmental resilience, and civic neighborliness—advocating for small-city strategies with meaningful regional impact. Across all her roles, Brandy’s mission is consistent: to help people cultivate landscapes—and communities—that heal, connect, and endure.
• Amber McClain, 
  Worker-Owner / Head of Installation Department, Nashville Foodscapes
  Amber is from Nashville, Tennessee and has a background in farming, woodworking, and edible and ecological landscaping. She earned a degree in Environmental Science and Sustainability from Lipscomb University, where she connected with Middle Tennessee’s organic agriculture community. She spent three years gardening and farming, including two years at Caney Fork Farms, where she deepened her understanding of regenerative agriculture. In 2020, Amber joined Nashville Foodscapes as the company began transitioning into a worker-owned cooperative. Now a worker-owner, she leads the installation department, participating in the design, planning, and installation of gardens, landscapes, and hardscapes. With a focus on craftsmanship and functionality, she is dedicated to creating outdoor spaces that are both beautiful and ecologically beneficial.
• Jeanne & Verdant Nolan own and operate The Organic Gardener Ltd. Founded in 2005 and entering their 21st season, they lead their company with a heartfelt commitment to positively impacting their community and the planet by connecting people to nature, self, family and community. The Organic Gardener Ltd. creates beautiful and productive organic edible gardens. Since 2005, we’ve built well over a thousand vegetable gardens throughout the Midwest. We construct unique, interactive outdoor spaces tailored to meet each client’s needs. Our team engages in projects from start to finish, and offers a full line of services including design, installation, maintenance, and education. We employ a team of 20 people and operate over 200 gardens annually.

You'll have access to the recordings for one year.

Get in touch with our conference manager Rachel at [email protected]