About Our Farm
Our Story
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.
Founding Vision & Leadership
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, the vision and labor of both founders continues to shape every seed sown and every life touched through Deep Roots CPS Farm.
How We Farm
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 - What makes Deep Roots CPS Farm 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.
Our Mission
At Deep Roots Farm, we believe in nurturing the connection between nature, food, and people. Our mission is to provide fresh, sustainable produce while creating experiences that foster learning, growth, and community engagement.
Our Values
We believe that every action we take on our farm should reflect our deep-rooted commitment to sustainability, community, and quality. These values guide everything we do, from the produce we grow to the experiences we offer.
Our Farm Team
At the heart of Deep Roots CPS Farm is a dynamic family team committed to growing with intention and purpose.
Cherie Jzar
Co-Founder & President
Cherie leads the farm’s strategic vision, business development, and stakeholder engagement. Cherie Jzar is the visionary leader at the heart of Deep Roots CPS Farm. As Co-Founder and President, she guides the farm’s strategic direction, cultivates key partnerships, and leads business development efforts that keep the mission moving forward. With a professional background in community planning and equity work, Cherie ensures that every decision made on the farm reflects a commitment to justice, inclusion, and long-term resilience. In addition to her leadership role, she is hands-on in daily operations—planting, harvesting, and tending to the farm’s diverse herb cultivation. She also curates and manages the farm’s vibrant calendar of events, from community workshops and farm-to-table dinners to educational experiences that reconnect people with the land. Cherie brings a unique blend of vision, groundedness, and heart to building a farm that feeds both body and soul.
Wisdom Jzar
Co-founder & Director of Farm Operations
Wisdom is the steady hand and force behind the daily flow of operations on the farm. As Co-Founder and Director of Farm Operations, he manages crop production with precision, oversees team logistics, and ensures that regenerative farming principles are not just talked about—but lived. With a systems-thinking approach and a deep commitment to land stewardship, Wisdom integrates innovation with ancestral wisdom to shape both the ecological integrity and productivity of the farm. From managing diverse operations across our urban and rural sites to mentoring emerging farmers, his work reflects a clear dedication to building a food system rooted in balance, resilience, and purpose.
Alvamir Jzar
Farmer & Livestock Lead
At just 20 years old, Alavmir brings heart, hustle, and a fresh perspective to Deep Roots CPS Farm. After spending a year at North Carolina A&T, he felt a strong pull back to the land and made the intentional choice to return home and pour his energy into the family farm full-time. Alavmir plays a central role in daily operations—planting, harvesting, and stewarding the rhythms of each season with grounded focus and quiet leadership. He is especially passionate about animal care and leads the humane management of our livestock, ensuring that all animals are raised on healthy, pasture-based systems where they can thrive. His hands-on dedication, technical skill, and youthful gaze help power the farm’s success and keep our mission rooted in both tradition and evolution.
