(Pictured left to right) Chef Pearl (Isles), Robin Lewis (Interfaith Power & Light & WhyHunger Board Member), Rev. Dr. Heber Brown III (BCFSN), Quandra Gray (What the Sprout), Dominique (Black Dirt Farm Collective), Jenique Jones (WhyHunger Executive Director), Suzanne Babb (WhyHunger Senior Co-Director of U.S. Programs), Regina Ginyard, WhyHunger Senior Manager of Strategic Partnerships), John Cape (WhyHunger VP), Gabrielle Peirre, WhyHunger Senior Specialist), Dr. Sacoby Wilson (Center for Engagement Environmental Justice & Health), Minister Joyce Woodson (Alfred Street Baptist Church)

On Saturday, October 3, 2026 our Executive Director, Rev. Heber Brown, III and our Deputy Director, Yekatit Bezooayehu, attended a special gathering of farmers, Black environmental justice leaders and members of faith communities to cultivate relationships and explore possibilities around deeper collaborations. The regional convening – called Rooted Together – was organized by WhyHunger, a leading funder in the food security and food sovereignty space.

WhyHunger partners with local communities to address the root causes of hunger. The Black Church Food Security Network has been fortunate enough to receive multi-year funding for many years from WhyHunger to support our operations.

The sizable group braved the rain and winds to spend significant time together in the barn at Juniper’s Garden dreaming about ways to deepen and broaden our collective work. We are excited about what will sprout from this special gathering and look forward to more ways to collaborate within the ecosystem of those aspiring toward Black food sovereignty.

We thank WhyHunger and Juniper’s Garden for organizing this important event.

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