Last year when we met Brandon Howley at Happy Hollow Ranch in Willis Point, the birds were chirping, a red fox burrowed in the pasture and cattle hid from the sun under trees lush with leaves.
Howley inherited this land from his tough-as-nails grandfather, former Dallas Cowboys linebacker Chuck Howley. The younger Howley brought new life to his grandfather’s land, growing the herd from 250 to more than 600 head of cattle. He tackled the science of ranching, learning everything from the chemistry of dirt all the way to humane slaughter practices. He sells beef online for local delivery and at the Dallas Farmers Market.