John,

Earth Day is all about supporting environmental protection, highlighting the people doing their best to be more sustainable, and celebrating the big, beautiful planet we call home.

That’s why we want to spend the day uplifting exoneree and urban farmer Tyrone Day. Tyrone was only 19 years old at the time of his arrest, and spent 26 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit before eventually being released on parole. Last year, he was finally exonerated — 33 years after his wrongful conviction. Now, he’s working to transform Dallas’ food deserts into self-sustaining, community-based farm systems.

Learn more about Tyrone’s story, and help spread the word about his work in sustainable farming.

Tyrone said his love of agriculture began with his grandmother, who had a passion for gardening. As a child, she showed him how to plant and harvest different crops — and they would eat fresh food from the garden every day.

While wrongly incarcerated, Tyrone found solace in the garden at Michael Unit, a men’s prison in Anderson County, Texas. During his time in prison, he became a certified horticulturist and graduated top of class from Trinity Valley Community College. He went on to manage a massive greenhouse, growing thousands of vegetables and plants for the prison system, and even worked in the kitchen commissary, improving the nutrition and quality of meals for his peers.

After his release, he co-founded Restorative Farms, which aims to revitalize urban agriculture — beginning with transforming dormant plots around the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and expanding its reach to teach the youth and the community about sustainable farming.

Tyrone’s work has helped transform one of the country’s largest food deserts into a flourishing garden. “We restore home and community gardens, we restore people,” he said about the organization.

Please, take a moment on this Earth Day to uplift Tyrone and his incredible efforts to bring sustainable urban farming to his community. 

Thank you so much for your support,

— The Innocence Project Team

P.S. Please vote for the Innocence Project in three categories by April 30 for the best of the Shorty Awards.