The small town of Oxford, Mississippi has played a disproportionately big part in American literature, having been home to a bunch of big-name authors, from William Faulker to John Grisham to Larry Brown. The title essay of Brown's final book, "Billy Ray's Farm," discusses his son's quest to become a cattleman. Now, six years after his father's death, the story is unfolding in reality. After working many years on massive industrial cattle farms, Billy Ray Brown decided to do things the old-fashioned, grass-fed way. Today, Brown Family Farm produces organic, sustainable dairy products that the local community has embraced with open arms. It's a heartwarming tale. Read the full story in The New York Times.
Photo: The Brown family on the farm. (David La Spina/The New York Times)