In 1988, Ohio lawyer Neil McKown signed a deal to buy 155 acres of overgrown, run-down land in Shelby. 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. 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.
When he planted his first soybean crop in 1990, three neighboring farmers stopped to look at his grain drill. Sam McKown, now 43, has become the main manager of the farm’s daily work. About 90 percent of his hay is sold to horse owners and cattle producers. He also manages 15 head of beef cattle. To build his own place in farming, Sam bought another 130 acres near Ontario, Ohio. He also placed 40 acres into a 15-year Conservation Reserve Program reforestation effort.
“I needed to be by myself, without the computer, email, phone or people,” Neil told Farm Progress editor Jennifer Kiel. Neil said he still laughs when he thinks about those early days, but the family kept going. “I think farmers get a bad rap,” Sam told Farm Progress. “My friends see this as work,” Pamela said.
Neil 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 wanted to be left alone with my thoughts. Going back to his rural roots seemed like the right choice. But moving into farming full time was still a major learning experience. They were concerned that he did not know what he was doing. He puts much of his time into producing high-quality hay. He grows alfalfa and row crops there. His sister, Lauren, chose law and healthcare policy and works in Columbus. Sam also defended farmers against criticism over environmental problems. “Most people involved in agriculture that own land, that farmland — it’s a generational thing, and they’re doing their best to manage profit while protecting the environment. For Pamela, the doubts she had in the early days have turned into an appreciation for the quiet life the family created from that sudden land purchase. “But it’s something we enjoy. I love being out here. I find it peaceful.”
He had grown up five miles from where the family farm is today and had worked summer jobs on nearby farms.