Meet Your Farmers

Curtis and Sarah Millsap, along with their eight daughters, young son, farm manager Kimby Decker, and several apprentices, operate Millsap Farms–a 20-acre diversified farm, four miles north of Springfield, MO. They bought the farm in 2007 from James and Erma Brown, who ran a successful nursery and bedding plant business on the farm for 30 years, building the big greenhouse, shop, and house in 1975-78.

The Millsaps started farming full time in 2008 with a 20 member CSA and farmers market sales, raising pastured broilers and layers, turkeys, one acre of vegetables, and bedding plants. They’ve since metamorphosed through several different versions, including raising 1,200 broilers/year, 400 turkeys, 600 layers, 30 goats, 40 hogs (including a sow/baby pig operation), cattle, up to 7 acres of flowers and vegetables, a home bakery, and several other more and less successful enterprises.

Currently, the Millsaps grow 2 acres of flowers and vegetables annually, with 25,000 sq ft under plastic, including a 1,600 sq ft Chinese solar greenhouse and a 6,000 sq ft minimally heated greenhouse. They use organic practices, and offer their produce for sale through a year-round, 185 member CSA, farmers’ market, and restaurant sales.

The farm is also a community, with several families and individuals in residence, some learning to farm and preparing to begin their own farming adventures. The Millsaps are always looking for ways to do more with less, including soil, energy, and water conservation measures such as no-till, solar greenhouses, intensive plantings, etc.

The Millsaps hope to continue their mission of raising healthy food in a way that’s good for their family, their land, and their customers. They plan to continue to grow their CSA and learn more about applying the right amount of effort, energy, fertility, and water to receive the best yield from their land, while preserving biodiversity, clean water, and clean air.  Sarah and Curtis and their crew are passionate about establishing community bonds with eaters, farmers, and learners in their region, and are always on the lookout for ways to build these relationships. Curtis has a passion for teaching and finds time to share his knowledge with the next generation of farmers, through internships an apprenticeship.

We love being your farmers, and we hope we can help you connect with your food, farmers, and the land.