Ohio attorney bought 155 neglected acres; 38 years later, family farms nearly 500

What began as a secret land purchase has grown into a nearly 500-acre family farm built around conservation, forestry and a long-term commitment to the land. In 1988, Ohio attorney Neil McKown quietly purchased 155 acres without first telling his wife, Pamela. The property was overgrown, rundown and neglected, but what initially looked like a risky decision eventually became the foundation of a nearly 500-acre family farming operation. In a report based on interviews with the McKown family, Farm Progress detailed how the family transformed the land while maintaining its woods, improving drainage and adopting conservation practices. Their efforts have now earned the family the Ohio Conservation Farm Family Award. Most notably, McKown turned down an estimated $400,000 to $500,000 timber harvest because he preferred to keep the forest standing.A secret purchase that changed the family’s futureMcKown’s first step into farming was far from conventional.