During the Great Depression, widower Ty Ty Walden and his three children—son Darlin' Jill and sons Buck and Shaw—live in the Georgia backcountry. Griselda, Buck's attractive wife, also resides with the family. Rosamund, Ty Ty's daughter, and her husband Will, a millworker, reside in the town of Peachtree Valley. Jim Leslie, the Walden family's estranged son and widower, is a wealthy cotton broker who lives in Augusta. He is the last member of the family. For fifteen years, Ty Ty, a farmer, has been combing his land in vain for the treasure his grandfather gave him. As a result, the farm has been neglected for many years. When Pluto Swint shows up, he declares his intention to run for sheriff. Darlin' Jill is bathing in an outdoor bathtub next to a handpump and faucet, and Swint is welcome to come around back. She teases him, knowing that Swint is attracted to her, and asks him to pump some more water. Despite being told to keep his eyes closed, Swint sneaks a glimpse. Ty Ty transports and wrongfully imprisons Dave Dawson, insisting that he assist him in finding the hidden riches, because he believes that having an albino accompany him on his treasure hunt will bring him great fortune. Using a divining rod, Dawson asserts that the gold is located on the piece of property Ty Ty has named "God's Little Acre." Ty Ty removes the cross marker from the ground and says that God instructed him to move it, thus he is not obligated to give the church any gold that is discovered in this new location. After Dawson is seduced by Darlin' Jill one evening, Uncle Felix, a field worker, accompanies him at gunpoint the following day, stating, "I am not going to shoot you, son, but this pistol might." Farming has been disrupted by the gold digging project, and Ty Ty needs money to provide for his family and employees. He visits his son Jim Leslie's estate to get a loan at Felix's recommendation. He receives the money from a haughty Jim Leslie, but he also advances on his sister-in-law Griselda and promises to take her for himself. The cotton factory in Peachtree Valley has been shuttered for months, which has led to a lot of stress among the jobless men. In order for everyone to resume their job, Will is adamant on breaking into the mill and turning on the electricity. Will leaves his residence in the middle of the night after having a heavy drink. Rosamund knows Will is interested in her, so she sends Griselda after him. He enters the site by breaking through the gates of the mill. Griselda initially diverts him from his goal. After exchanging passionate kisses, they vanish into a different room. They come out with unkempt hair, and he leads her back to the gates, pleading with the assembling crowd to hold her back. To the applause of the audience, he reenters and switches on the electricity, causing the machines to revive. Will is shot for trespassing by the caretaker, who enters from an inside office after hearing the rioters' gathering and the mill's electricity being turned on. His body is carried back to his home by the throng. Rosamund screams that she already knows what has happened when Griselda comes in to deliver the dreadful news. Following Will's funeral, the Walden family quarrels back at the farm, especially Buck, who is upset at Griselda's actions toward Will in the mill. Buck is urged by Ty Ty to be cheerful and to think about God more. Buck battles Jim Leslie when he tries to take Griselda. To stop more bloodshed, Ty Ty sends Jim Leslie away. Ty Ty says he will quit searching for gold if God will protect his sons as he looks out over his acreage, which is covered with enormous holes dug during the previous 15 years. Time goes by. Pluto Swint's new fiancée, Darlin' Jill, congratulates him on his election as sheriff. Buck's feelings for Griselda have improved. For the first time in years, the family happily plows the fields, and it appears that they may finally yield a crop. However, Ty Ty discovers an old shovel blade in the dirt and makes a guess as to whether the gold could be found there. He starts excavating once more, and the pond turns out to be the marker's final resting place for God's Little Acre.