More Americans Are Turning To Local Black Farms For Fresh Produce During Cyclospora Outbreak – AfroTech
Black farmers are seeing an uptick in business following the cyclospora outbreak, reinforcing the need for ongoing support.
The recent outbreak is tied to 22,000 cases of illness across 47 states, with more than 500 people hospitalized, according to Capital B News. It is being described as an “explosive diarrhea parasite” that allegedly came from shredded iceberg lettuce shipped by Taylor Farms de Mexico, per Today. Other symptoms include loss of appetite and fatigue, the CDC reports.
Taylor Farms is also currently linked to a salmonella outbreak from food items that contain jalapeños, though the peppers it used actually came from a different grower, CBS News reports.
Americans were already buying fewer groceries, with a 2% year-over-year decline since February 2026, per data from Bain & Co. and NielsenIQ, as reported by CNBC. The decline has primarily been attributed to inflation and changes to SNAP benefits.
The outbreaks likely will only widen the gap as they are leading more Americans to visit their local growers in record numbers. Black farmers have also been seeing an uptick in visitors. At Deep Roots CPS Farm in Charlotte, NC, visitors are not only coming in to buy goods but also asking questions about how to grow their own produce and inquiring about other vegetables they can eat.
“They are coming to us wanting to purchase from a trusted source,” said Cherie Jzar, co-founder and managing director of the farm, according to B Capital News. “They tell us straight away, like, we’re looking to purchase because we’re concerned about the parasite.”
Long-term, Jzar emphasizes that she hopes the influx of support for Black farmers will remain and won’t be contingent upon a health outbreak.
“People need to be able to trust where their food comes from — that it’s been grown with care in a healthy manner. Not only are they getting fresh, healthy produce, but they’re actually getting culturally relevant food, something they may not be able to get their hands on in the grocery store,” Jzar told Capital B News.
A separate Black-owned farm in Warren County, NC, led by Patrick Brown, has also experienced an uptick in business. However, Brown acknowledged the challenges of matching the pace of foot traffic and hiring extra staff, which becomes increasingly difficult when considering the lack of support from the federal administration.
“We got so many other obstacles in place that are in the way of expanding right now, not to mention a federal administration that is not supporting small-scale farmers,” Brown said, per the outlet.
He echoes the same sentiments as Jzar, acknowledging the support needed for local farmers, but adding it should be extended to Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms and food-distribution networks throughout the year.
