Tent Life

2nd Place 2016 Student Keystone Press Awards

6th Place 2016 Hearst Journalism Awards

Zack Troyer, a senior Plant Science major at Penn State University, decided to take on a bet with his friends that he could live in a tent on a nearby farm for his entire fall semester in State College, Pa. In August of 2015, Troyer set up his old 10 ft by 14 ft canvas tent in a small stand of woods on Meyer Dairy Farm and began to work several days a week for Denny Meyer, the owner of the farm.

Zack Troyer drives his 1968 International truck back to his campsite on Meyer Dairy Farm in State College, Pa.

Troyer eats a can of cold beans in front of a campfire by his tent at Meyer Dairy Farm. For about half of the fall semester, his diet mainly consisted of canned beans, canned tuna, and bottles of milk from Meyer Dairy.

Troyer reads Tolstoy's War and Peace in his tent on Meyer Dairy Farm in State College, Pa.

Troyer and his friend, Paul Kemper, sing along to the music at Pickles' country night. Troyer attended country night every Tuesday with his friends.

Zack Troyer leans across the bar to speak with the bartender at Pickle's in State College, Pa.

Troyer arranges his school papers in his tent. He did most of his schoolwork on campus where he has access to electricity.

Zack Troyer makes coffee before driving to campus.

Troyer drives his truck along Farm Lane through fallow fields towards his campsite on Meyer Dairy Farm.

Troyer sits in his Business of Agriculture class with a bottle of Meyer Dairy milk on the desk in front of him. He got fresh milk from the dairy where he lived and worked every day.

Matt McWilliams blows on the fire to stoke the flames in the stand of woods on the Meyer Dairy Farm with Troyer and some of his other firends from his hometown, Waterford, Pa. on December 5, 2015. The group came down to State College to visit Troyer at his tent in the woods on one of his last weekends living on the farm.

Troyer carries his laundry out of the frost-covered woods where his camp is set up to his car. He brought his laundry into town to wash it at a laundromat. As for his own personal hygiene, Troyer showered at the gym on campus.