Hope & Hard Work is the product of two years exploration of farming and food production in West Virginia. The purpose of this project was to use documentary storytelling to examine farming in West Virginia in order to create a resource for anyone that is interested in learning about farming in the mountain state. The stories featured here represent four of the many types of farms present in West Virginia. Information about other types of West Virginia farms is included in the Overview.

Hope & Hard Work was photographed, written, and produced by Rachel Yoke. Rachel is a visual journalist and storyteller who grew up on a small farm in Harrison County, WV. Agriculture and the intersection of people and land are two of Rachel’s passions, prompting the creation of this project.  You can see more of Rachel’s work documenting Appalachia and beyond on her website.