Tyrone Power Cherry III spent decades in the classroom as a teacher, substitute teacher and principal. He left the traditional classroom and turned his focus on a 5-acre plot of land in Petersburg that he believed could be a space for the community to grow together.

Cherry founded the Petersburg League of Urban Growers (P.L.U.G.) to educate, encourage, and empower his community to use urban agriculture as a way to improve the health of the people and the planet.

In 2022, Cherry collaborated with Happily Natural Day and Agrarian Commons to purchase and develop the Petersburg Oasis commUNITY Farm. He then partnered his passion for the environment with his professional skill set as an educator and designed the Petersburg Oasis Youth Farm. A small urban greenspace that exposes the local youth the basics of agriculture and how they can use this knowledge to play an active role in their local food system.

The P.L.U.G. offers an educational experience in urban agriculture to local youth. The program is called, “How 2 Survive In The Food Desert” and offers an opportunity for youth to explore ways to combat the challenges of experiencing food apartheid in their community. Recently, The P.L.U.G. acquired a mobile market to more directly and effectively address the food insecurity concern in the community of Petersburg.