Hands That Hold the Land

By Owen Prucey

In rural Pennsylvania, farming has always been a central element of a lifestyle that is now rapidly fading away due to large corporations buying out generational farms.

My grandfather owned a tractor, and when I was a kid, he would let me sit on his lap, and I would drive it around in endless delight. After hearing the news that rural PA farming is decreasing, I’ve always thought to myself that the similar memories I cherish will eventually fade forever. Small homes will turn into corporate powerhouses. Generations will be torn apart.

As time progresses, American society will soon push out this lifestyle entirely. Fueled by the need to highlight this detrimental change, I chose to continuously document the tightly knit communities of rural Western Pennsylvania and how their hands, soon to be invisible, hold the land.