Edmund C. Snodgrass started the first green roof nursery in the United States and has collaborated on green roof research with colleges and universities. A fifth-generation farmer and nurseryman, he is owner and president of Emory Knoll Farms Inc. and Green Roof Plants in Street, Maryland, specializing in plants and horticultural consulting for green roofs.

He is coauthor, with Linda McIntyre, of The Green Roof Manual: A Professional Guide to Design, Installation, and Maintenance. He also wrote, with his wife, Lucie Snodgrass, Green Roof Plants: A Resource and Planting Guide.