Chapter 13 Summary

Two men, Earl Grebe and Magnes Volkema, visit the farm of a man who is successfully "dry farming." With these proven techniques of growing crops in land with only a minimal amount of annual rainfall, Grebe and Volkema, accompanied by their families, move to Colorado and homestead sections of land. Volkema's two children - a daughter and a son - each lay claim to their own 320 acres though they lie about their age to do so. Soon after their arrival, Grebe's wife Alice miscarries. Later she gives birth to a son, Ethan, and later a daughter, Victoria.

As the Grebes and Volkemas put their limited information into practice, they have successful crops. The land, having never been plowed, produces well even with the limited rainfall, but there are those who recognize the damage that's being done for the long term. Jim Lloyd tells...