About our leadership.

Before fully immersing himself in the world of urban farming, Cherry spent many years as an educator and principal, guiding students academically and personally. His passion for community work took on new meaning in 2014, when the tragic death of Michael Brown sparked a call to action. Inspired by the youth of Petersburg, Cherry launched an initiative to mobilize students in both academic success and positive community engagement. This early effort laid the foundation for his larger projects in farming and food access.

In 2014, Cherry began building raised garden beds in his front yard to address food insecurity in his neighborhood. What started as a small-scale project grew into the five-acre Petersburg Oasis CommUNITY Farm — today owned and stewarded by the Central Virginia Agrarian Land Trust, with four farms on the site.

Petersburg Is Growing manages the Petersburg Oasis Youth Farm, one of those four farms — the outdoor classroom where our young people learn agriculture, sustainability, and healthy living. Cherry helped start this work; the land trust now holds and protects the land so the community can grow here for generations.

Tyrone Cherry is also the founder of the Petersburg League of Urban Growers (P.L.U.G.), an organization that promotes self-sufficiency, health, and community collaboration through urban agriculture. The league’s mission is to shift the mindset of the community from one of scarcity to abundance, using farming as a tool to build wealth — both in terms of health and prosperity — for generations to come.

In addition to his work on the farm, Cherry is heavily involved in local efforts to expand food access. He served as the market assistant for the POP! Market (Petersburg Offers Produce) and worked with the Petersburg River Street Farmers Market, where fresh produce is made available to low-income families. Through these initiatives, Cherry helps residents make the most of their SNAP benefits by leveraging programs like Virginia Fresh Match, which doubles the value of SNAP dollars spent on fruits and vegetables.

In addition to his direct work with Petersburg Is Growing, Cherry serves as an advisor for the Advancing Urban Agriculture and Sustainable Food Systems in Virginia initiative, supported by Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, and the USDA Farm Service Agency. This initiative seeks to expand urban farming efforts across Virginia, focusing on capacity building and best practices for soil health and sustainable urban food systems.

For Cherry, farming is more than an agricultural practice — it’s an act of self-love and community care. He sees urban agriculture as a bridge between the past and future, connecting people with their history while cultivating a healthier, more sustainable future. Through his efforts, Cherry is turning food deserts into oases of opportunity, where families can thrive and young people learn how to nurture both the earth and themselves.

Tyrone Cherry’s work has been widely recognized for its impact on the community. In 2022, he was honored as a recipient of the Real Farmer Care initiative, which supports the self-care of farmers who are making meaningful contributions to their communities.

Under Cherry’s leadership, Petersburg Is Growing is focused on creating lasting change in Petersburg, building a community where everyone has access to healthy food, and developing future leaders through education and empowerment.