SUPPORT NEW ROOTS FARMERS' AUTONOMY

In the heart of City Heights, the New Roots Project was born, where farmers from diverse backgrounds united to transform a rocky canyon into the vibrant New Roots Farm we cherish today. Notably, in 2010, a visit from former First Lady Michelle Obama sparked the establishment of over 10 New Roots Farm sites across the country.

We are now seeking to form our own nonprofit to ensure the long-term viability of the farm, free from external cooptation and exploitation, and obtain a lease from the City of San Diego.

After introducing an idea for an open market at the farm, necessary permits and support were lacking. Shortly after, while seeking permits for on-site food sales, we discovered that there was no active lease with the city for the property. This led farmers to question the authority of City Heights Community Development Corporation (CHCDC) who erroneously claimed to have the right to control the farm and the farmers who made New Roots what it is. Uncertain of the future of the farm, we began putting pressure on CHCDC to be transparent regarding when their involvement began, changes of leadership, and budget/funding allocation. The CHCDC resisted answering questions regarding the lease and funding transparency and began retaliating against those of us who questioned their authority, including with eviction threats, while policing our attempts to form a union to manage ourselves.

Our struggle for autonomy has been covered by the press:

https://www.kpbs.org/news/living/2023/12/29/san-diego-new-roots-city-heights-farm-refugees-lease-dispute

Presently, CHCDC operates without a city lease/permit, collecting fees from farmers and, exploiting our stories and images while receiving donations/grants on our behalf and without farmers' knowledge.

New Roots Community Farm in City Heights is home to refugees/immigrants from around the world, differing in culture, religion, and language but connected through food and environmental sustainability. Challenges of language barriers and alienation in a new country have made our community vulnerable to nonprofits exploiting our images and stories.

Established in 2007, and sustained by dedicated farmers adhering to community agreements and paying annual plot and water bills for 15 years, the farm now faces uncertainty. We can never let this happen again.

UPDATE:

Farmers at New Roots from various backgrounds, cultures, and languages have formed our own 501c3 nonprofit which will allow us to obtain a lease from the City, obtain funding to invest in the farm and community programs, and ensure New Roots has a thriving future.

In light of the ongoing lawsuits, we're in a desperate race against time to get the remainder of our farmers back on their land. More farmers are continuously denied access to their land and crops. These farmers need your help to cover the necessary legal fees that can help them gain access to their land, as one farmer has already. We need additional support of $10,000 to ensure legal counsell and representation continues for these farmers as they are currently in ongoing legal battle with City Heights CDC.

To make matters worse, CHCDC has filed a quiet title action, trying to usurp the land from those who've lovingly cultivated it for years.

This land isn't just soil and crops; it's a testament to our community's resilience and cultural heritage. Our farmers are ready to fight, but they need your help. The cost of legal representation is steep—up to $15,000 just to start the process.

Our farmers are not just fighting for plots of land; they're fighting for their livelihoods, their heritage, and their community. But time is running out, and they need your help. To continue legal representation for the locked-out farmers and to follow up on their cases in court, we need at least $5,000 in the next week. Additionally, we need $4,000 for two depositions.

In order for us to challenge the quiet title action filed by CHCDC, we will need to raise a minimum of $15,000 for an initial retainer from an attorney and to get started on countering the case in court. Our goal is to raise a total of $30,000 by May 1st.

Your donation can turn the tide. It can mean the difference between our farmers reclaiming their land or losing it forever. Please, donate today and share our campaign widely. Let's show CHCDC that our community stands strong and united.

We want to make clear, we are famers at New Roots Garden in the heart of City Heights, which is a community asset that has sustained San Diego's Multi-Ethnic Communities since 2008. We are farmers against City Heights CDC’s land grab and illegal evictions of farmers at New Roots. In April 2024, City Heights CDC made the incredibly petty move of filing a spurious service trademark with the secretary of state for the term “New Roots” to stop farmers from identifying as San Diego New Roots on the path toward autonomy. They are now threatening to sue us for trademark infringement. So, to avoid our resources and the money you all generously donated from being drained by a frivolous trademark lawsuit, we have changed our name…for now. But we will never let land grabs and bogus claims of intellectual property ownership over New Roots stop us from honoring our history and collective labor. It is the farmers that built New Roots it is the farmers that rightfully possess this land. Nothing can take that truth away from us.

How Your Support Helps:

Your contributions will directly support:

Every cent will be accounted for and accounting will be made immediately available upon request.

UPDATE: San Diego New Roots is now a 501c3 organization and we are finalizing the filing of our articles of incorporation.