The Team
Jeremy Lekich
I was born and raised in Nashville, TN. I received my bachelors of science from Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, NC (near Asheville) and majored in biology (minor = chemistry). My focus was on plants and systems design.
Warren Wilson is a work college, meaning every student is required to work at least 15 hours a week on a specific work crew in addition to the academic requirements. For the majority of my time at Warren Wilson, I worked on the landscaping crew. In addition to performing normal landscaping duties, I also maintained a diverse and mature Permaculture foodscape in front of the “Eco-dorm”. During my last two years at Warren Wilson, I taught classes and workshops on Permaculture and Foodscaping, along with guiding countless tours of the Eco-dorm foodscape.
I have interned at Ashevillage Institute, an urban permaculture laboratory and community. I helped to manage the permaculture garden and educate folks in the garden. During this internship, I earned my Permaculture Design certificate. I have also worked on a mature, complex and integrated permaculture farm in Southern France, with a focus on fruit tree care and maintenance.
Parallel to my permaculture studies, I have read and attended conferences on Bio-dynamics. I traveled to Pine Ridge Lakota Reservation in South Dakota to build a bio-dynamic garden at a Lakota Waldorf school. My designs and thought patterns are a fusion of permaculture and bio-dynamic principles.
I have designed foodscapes for clients in the Asheville and Nashville areas. My passion is growing food of all kinds and doing it in a way that is attractive and healthy for the individual and the community. I have come back to my native Nashville eager to work towards food security and earth restoration. I am a community resilience enthusiast and believe in the power of a localized economy and an inspired, well-fed community.
Mary Mooney
I am a recent transplant to Nashville with a passion for artwork and edibles. My interest in plants began with “What all can I eat?” and has now evolved to “What all can I grow?” My culinary curiosity is a driving force in my foray into growing, and working with Nashville Foodscapes has opened my eyes to another world of delicious vegetables, fruits, herbs, and medicinal plants.
At Nashville Foodscapes, I am able to put my graphic design knowledge and arts background to use. Working with a talented team of designers, I illustrate the final Master Plan and Perspective Rendering for our clients, bringing color and clarity to the end product. I relish having a position that can evolve and grow with the needs of an organization I believe in.
Mark Hollingsworth
I moved to Nashville in September of 2011 and have loved it ever since I arrived. I grew up in the Raleigh area on approximately 150 acres of family land, so naturally I have always loved the outdoors. My parents always had a large garden and wild food producing plants grew all around us. You could walk down the half mile driveway and eat blackberries straight from the vine as you went along the path. Along with the blackberries grew persimmons, wild plums, black walnuts, pears, blueberries, maypops, and quince. I learned at a very young age that forests provide a wonderful and stunning array of edible foods. Before moving to Tennessee, I had the opportunity to work briefly on a farm in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and additionally, gained valuable carpentry and building experience working with a general contractor.
A year and a half after moving to Nashville, in the spring of 2012, I joined Jeremy and Nashville Foodscapes. In addition to working with Nashville Foodscapes, I attend Belmont University and plan to earn a business degree with a focus in entrepreneurship and a minor in environmental science. I enjoy working with the Foodscapes crew and love bringing edibles to front yards, just like what I had growing up.
Ki Ogilvie
My Name is Ki. I grew up in West Nashville. I love designing & building all sorts of things, solving technical problems, and vegetables/fruit. Every day and every 'scape hold new beauty and old wisdom to be savored. I hope to share my passion with others I collide with in this amazing expansive universe.
Mary Self
I'm a Connecticut girl living in a southern world! In 2006 my husband and I bought our house in Nashville and I immediately began tending to the landscape and creating gardens. I envisioned a 5 year plan for our property and I am happy to be close to making it all come true. In 2011, I contacted Nashville Foodscapes to help me create a tea garden and to plant fruit shrubs and trees. After meeting Jeremy and talking about all the possibilities for incorporating food into my landscape I was inspired to do more. Just by chance he was looking to hire more staff and I was eager to help. I am very excited to be working at the local Farmer's Markets, helping on job sites and communicating with our customers and supporters through our social network sites and the monthly newsletter!
My garden philosophy is to surround myself with the colors and smells I love while focusing on native, edible and heirloom plants! I love to experiment with a few new plants and vegetables each year. I am particularly proud of my lavender bushes. I have 5 that I harvest, dry and use in homemade soaps, bath salts and sugar scrubs as well as hand sewn sachets and dry arrangements! This year I want to plant a few more specifically for culinary purposes! I am also an active member of the Urban Chicken Advocates of Nashville (UCAN) and a member of the Davidson County Master Gardeners.
