Deep Roots CPS Farm

Deep Roots CPS Farm is a family-run urban farm in Charlotte, North Carolina, founded by first-generation Black farmers. Our journey began with a vision: to transform underutilized urban spaces into thriving centers of sustainable food production and community engagement. We started on a modest homestead, growing food for our family, then expanded to cultivating multiple plots across the Charlotte metro area. Over time, our passion and purpose led us to establish a 7-acre farmstead in Charlotte and a 44-acre expansion in Union County. Today, our farms not only grow fresh, seasonal produce but also serve as spaces for education, empowerment, and community connection. Along the way, our work has been recognized for its impact. We were honored as the 2022 Charlotte Minority Enterprise Development Week Distinguished Business of the Year and named Farmer of the Year in 2023 by Unpretentious Palate. These milestones affirm our commitment to cultivating not just food—but a resilient, empowered, and connected community. Deep Roots CPS Farm was co-founded by Wisdom and Cherie Jzar, a husband-and-wife team whose shared passion for farming, food justice, and community healing laid the foundation for what the farm is today. Cherie’s spark for advocacy and her desire to create access to healthier food options ignited the journey, while Wisdom’s deep connection to the land and systems thinking helped shape the farm’s regenerative practices and daily rhythms. Together, they’ve cultivated more than soil, they’ve built a movement rooted in equity, education, and community resilience. While Cherie is the sole owner of the business, Deep Roots CPS Farm remains a family-led farm, guided by shared purpose, shared work, and a deep love for the people we serve. Our vision:Communities connected to land, food, and each other, with the capacity to sustain themselves for generations. At Deep Roots CPS Farm, we practice regenerative agriculture with a deep commitment to soil health, biodiversity, and long-term sustainability. Our goal is to build thriving, permanent growing systems using minimal soil disturbance techniques that protect soil structure and encourage beneficial microbial life. We enrich our fields with compost, rotate crops, and plant cover crops to naturally restore nutrients and suppress pests. We grow a wide variety of seasonal vegetables, culinary and medicinal herbs, mushrooms, and flowers. We also raise pasture-raised chickens for eggs and meat, prioritizing animal welfare and natural grazing practices. Our work doesn’t stop in the fields. Through farm tours, educational workshops, and community-centered events, we share our knowledge and model what sustainable, community-driven agriculture can look like—right in the heart of our region. What makes us special is our deep-rooted commitment to growing food with purpose, centering community access, education, and environmental stewardship in everything we do. As first-generation Black farmers, we’re not just cultivating crops; we’re cultivating connection, healing, and resilience through land-based work. Deep Roots CPS Farm advances sustainable, community-centered agriculture by growing food with integrity, stewarding land with intention, and expanding access to fresh, locally grown produce. We build capacity through education, shared experiences, and community. At Deep Roots CPS Farm, every action begins with intention. We believe that farming is an act of stewardship and community-building, and our work reflects a deep commitment to sustainability, integrity, and collective well-being. These values shape how we grow food, how we care for the land, and how we create meaningful experiences that nourish people and community. At the heart of Deep Roots CPS Farm is a dynamic family team committed to growing with intention and purpose. Cherie leads the farm’s strategic vision, business development, and stakeholder engagement. Cherie Jzar is the visionary leader at the heart of Dee