When it is found out that a young boy, Graham, is being beaten by his alcoholic father, John, Caroline takes care of the boy while Charles stays with John to try to get him to stay sober.

A college-educated farmer named Joe moves to Walnut Grove with his pregnant wife. He tells the Walnut Grove-area farmers of a new hybrid of corn that would produce good crops, to which the farmers are very enthused. They decide to buy some of this new seed. While on the way back to Walnut Grove with the seed, Joe gets into an accident, as the farmers wait for his return.