Walter Brennan and his four children move onto a new farm in the small town of "Millwood". He is stubborn, has his ways of doing things and despite advice from the local land agent "Barkley" (Robert Paige) he ploughs on regardless of the warnings that his methods could cause soil erosion with dangerous consequences. It's only when he has an arboreal incident that breaks his leg, and he becomes bedridden that his children - led by the eldest "Debbie" (Marguerite Chapman) take things in hand. She is a bit soft on Paige and soon manages to combine some more efficient farm management techniques…