For far too long, the environmental movement has been largely focused on the concerns of White communities, while Black communities have been exploited and disproportionately harmed by environmental hazards, including climate change. Today, climate change affects everything, including our food supply, leaving many farmers facing an uncertain future.

This month, LCV is highlighting the work of Cherie Jzar, a Black woman, mom, and owner of Deep Roots CPS Farm in Charlotte, North Carolina, who is feeding her community while shaping the future of farming. 

On their urban farm, Cherie and her family use a variety of climate-smart agricultural practices that are good for people and the planet, but these innovative farming practices are at risk if Congress cuts critical resources. You can help right now by holding leaders accountable to support farmers like Cherie who are part of the climate solution.

Read more about Cherie's story below, and tell Congress: We must protect funding for climate-smart agriculture in the 2023 Farm Bill so farmers like Cherie can continue to provide their communities with healthy, nutritious food for generations to come.
  On seven acres in Charlotte, North Carolina, Cherie Jzar, an urban farmer, Black woman, and mom of five, is helping to shape the future of farming.
 
Cherie and her family run Deep Roots CPS Farm, an urban farm that provides produce, eggs and other goods to the community in Charlotte. The family began farming as homesteaders in 2003 when Cherie and her husband purchased their first home and wanted to grow good, nutritious food for themselves and their children. Five years later, they expanded their farm to include chickens and beehives, and a decade after that, they began selling their local, organic produce at markets in the area. 

When the family decided to expand their farm, they intentionally located it “in the heart of Black Charlotte,” because they felt it was important for there to be a source of locally grown food for the community.  

Far too often, communities of color lack access to fresh, nutritious food. The Jzars are passionate about closing that gap in Charlotte in a way that is sustainable and fulfills their mission to be good stewards of the land. By utilizing a variety of climate-smart agricultural practices including composting, cover cropping, and low-tilling methods “that honor the natural flow of the land,” Deep Roots is ensuring the soil stays healthy for generations to come.
 
Click here to continue Cherie's story, and learn more about her work and how you can hold leaders accountable to support communities like these.