At Plant For A Change, all people, regardless of ability, work side-by-side
“Like seeds in soil, they want nothing more than to see inclusive workspaces root and grow.”
“Just like native plants in a local ecosystem, people with disabilities are being undervalued, and underrepresented as managers in the workforce. We are here at Plant for a Change to show we can have a great impact. We may be one of the first businesses co-managed and co-owned by people with disabilities in Tennessee, but we don’t want to be the only ones.”
Nashville Local News Channel 5, March 7, 2025
The seed business aims to create an eco-focused workforce that includes everyone.
Van Wulven brings so much to the table, including his ability to connect with others and concentrate on important tasks, like filling hundreds of seed packets.
"We have so much to benefit from when people with and without disabilities are in community together," Fields said.
Van Wulven and Fields met eight years ago at Vanderbilt University. Fields was earning his master's at the time, and Van Wulven was a student in the Vanderbilt Next Steps program, a four-year certification program for students with intellectual disabilities. They were matched as Best Buddies.
"The farming community, both locally and nationally, really welcomed us and supported us in learning because we have a lot to learn. We're learning alongside each other. I never thought I would go into a career as a farmer. Did you, Jason?" Fields said. "No," Van Wulven said.
Since Van Wulven joined the team, the farming income has tripled, and production has quadrupled.
The team packs five varieties of seeds that are native to Tennessee. Their products can be purchased from 21 local vendors and on their website.
A SustainABLE Business Takes Root.
Breaking Ground, June 2021
“Rather than wait for the right manager to come along and hire us, we began to think about what it would be like to be the managers we hoped for. We could hire people with and without disabilities to work alongside each other.”
In May 2020, the team of alumni from Vanderbilt’s Next Steps and Peabody Education programs officially launched the first native plant business co-managed and co-owned by people with and without disabilities. The team of co-managers chose to create a business rather than a non-profit. They want to show employers at for-profit businesses that fair employment and management alongside people with disabilities can be done.