Our Story
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 purchased the property in 2007 from James and Erma Brown, who had run a successful nursery and bedding plant business there for 30 years, constructing the large greenhouse, shop, and house between 1975 and 1978.
The Millsaps transitioned to full-time farming in 2008, launching a 20-member CSA and farmers market sales focused on pastured broilers and layers, turkeys, one acre of vegetables, and bedding plants. Over the years, they’ve evolved through various enterprises, including 1,200 broilers annually, 400 turkeys, 600 layers, 30 goats, 40 hogs (with a sow-and-piglet operation), cattle, up to seven acres of flowers and vegetables, a home bakery, and other ventures.
Today, the family raises two acres of flowers and vegetables annually using organic practices, with 25,000 square feet under plastic—including a 1,600-square-foot Chinese solar greenhouse and a 6,000-square-foot minimally heated one. Their poultry operation features about 300 hens: one flock on a rotational pasture system for nutrient-rich eggs, and another on a compost-creating setup using woodchips, vegetable scraps, and other organics to build soil fertility. Produce and eggs are sold through a year-round 185-member CSA, farmers markets, and local restaurants.
Millsap Farms doubles as a vibrant community, hosting families and individuals who live on-site, learn sustainable farming, and prepare to launch their own operations. The Millsaps prioritize efficiency—employing no-till methods, solar greenhouses, intensive plantings, and conservation techniques for soil, energy, and water—to do more with less while fostering biodiversity, clean water, and air.
Their mission remains raising wholesome food that’s nourishing for their family, regenerative for the land, and joyful for customers. They aim to expand their CSA, refine inputs like effort, energy, fertility, and water for optimal yields, and deepen ties with eaters, fellow farmers, and aspiring growers in the region. Curtis channels his teaching passion into internships and apprenticeships, mentoring the next generation.
We cherish being your farmers and hope to strengthen your connection to your food, its stewards, and the earth that sustains us.