The American Civil War was a pivotal period for Oliver Kelley, his family, and his farm. Kelley had an appetite for innovation just as armies of the era had an enormous appetite for vast quantities of food. When the war came to an end, Kelley was called upon by President Johnson to assess the dire condition of farms in the South.

Kelley Farm staff Bob Quist and Ann Bercher explain how this work informed Kelley's thinking and sparked his idea for a national network of farmers.