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    How Chef Chakayla Is Building A Food Oasis In Charlotte

    Charlotte-based chef Chakayla Taylor’s purpose extends far beyond feeding others food from her kitchen. 

    The self-identified “soul chef” is a firm believer that food should not only be used for nourishment, but liberation and healing. Being a chef in a city where restaurants stand in almost every 1-mile radius, yet income and food disparities still run deep, is no easy feat.

    A  recent article from UNC Charlotte reveals that wealthier, and often more white, residents are concentrated in South Charlotte. Simultaneously, an arc of lower-income communities stretches to the north, east, and west. This, coupled with how the global pandemic continues to alter the way we live and consume food, sparked an idea that would allow Chakayla to continue to serve her community. She would provide them with sustenance and sustainability through a community garden. 

    Photo by Mullah Mugzie, Staff Photographer

    Chakayla’s mission began with a straightforward question, “Why are black communities so food insecure?” On a quest for answers, Chakayla—a novice in gardening at the time— wanted to help create viable solutions to provide fresh food to communities in need. She wanted to create a platform that educated her community, and celebrated and honored what our ancestors have passed down for generations. However, providing this level of support in this climate was more challenging than she ever expected.

    “After the Governor of North Carolina implemented the COVID-19 pandemic stay-at-home order, I raced to the grocery store,” Taylor shared with The Block. “Annoyed that I hadn’t prepared my family, I walked right into empty shelves in almost every department. At that moment (of an almost meltdown), I decided to start my gardening journey.”

    Chakayla was met with discouragement from fellow business owners and neighbors, who were afraid that the garden would yield “security issues.” Despite the naysayers, her mission eventually led her to Crownkeepers, donning a dope partnership with the non-profit sector of cultural nexus, Dupp&Swat.

    Photo by Mullah Mugzie, Staff Photographer

    “Partnering with Davita has been such an amazing experience, that has come full circle. We are working on finding an area to bring Herban Farmacie to life, to affect change.”

    More than a community garden, Chakayla is working to create a welcoming space where the community can cultivate, harvest, and (most importantly) enjoy the fruits (and veggies) of their harvests. Once finalized, she will need help laying compost, weeding garden beds, planting seeds, pruning and harvesting crops. After the first harvest, she will need food storers and deliverers.

    You can support this amazing community effort by donating your time, financial resources, or gardening supplies. To get more information on Chakayla and her initiative, visit her website www.passthepowerplate.com. You can also follow her on Instagram at: @thepowerplate or find updates on the project at: @herbanfarmacie.

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