"There are 2,000 ewes producing over 3,000 lambs over two weeks," he says. "It's a very busy time."

Cooper spent 15 years at Morgan Stanley, including a three-year stint running equity trading in Hong Kong. Then last fall he changed course. In November he bought a 2,500-acre farm in Dorset in southwestern England, where he intends to raise goats, sheep and cattle and grow cereal grains. "September 11 made me think about my quality of life," says Cooper. "It was more important to me to focus on balance in life and enjoying it."

Cooper now spends his days studying everything from wildlife management to conservation. In October he starts a 30-week postgraduate program on farm management at Royal Agricultural College. One of his goals is to make his farm completely organic. He also wants to breed pure cattle. "They are tastier, and they sell at a premium," says the ex,financial pro, who hasn,t completely forgotten how markets work.