As the US Army moved westward, military forts had to find ways to be more self-sufficient. This was the case at Fort Atkinson, Nebraska, among other locations nationwide. Their success varied, however, and officials expressed conflicting opinions about the appropriateness of soldiers spending their time farming.

This episode is from the article, "To Plow, To Sow, To Reap, to Mow: The US Army Agriculture Program," written by Miller J Stewart and published in the Summer 1982 issue of Nebraska History Magazine.