In 1988, Ohio attorney Neil McKown secretly bought 155 neglected acres; 38 years later...

In 1988, Ohio lawyer Neil McKown signed a deal to buy 155 acres of overgrown, run-down land in Shelby. When he got home that evening, he asked his family to get into the car to see what he had just bought. His wife, Pamela, was not impressed by the property. She thought it was an eyesore. But that quiet, impulsive purchase began a decades-long effort to care for the land. Thirty-eight years later, the McKown family manages nearly 500 acres in Richland County, raising row crops, alfalfa, hay, and cattle. Their work to improve soil health, manage water, and care for the woods has earned them the Ohio Conservation Farm Family Award, according to Farm Progress.Escape from the courtroomNeil McKown spent years practicing law with his father. He and his family lived in a suburban home on seven acres. Over time, the pressure of legal work began to wear on him. He tried hobbies such as trap shooting and golf to relax. But people often approached him during his free time to ask for legal advice. "I needed to be by myself, without the computer, email, phone or people," Neil told Farm Progress editor Jennifer Kiel. "I wanted to be left alone with my thoughts." Going back to his rural roots see...