Ohio lawyer bought 155 acres in 1988, farms 500, rejected $500K timber cut

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.