Millsap Farm is a family-run, 20-acre farm in Springfield, Missouri, rooted in stewardship, community, and good food. What began in 2007 when Curtis and Sarah Millsap purchased the farm from longtime growers James and Erma Brown has grown into a thriving year-round operation supported by their eight daughters, young son, and an ever-evolving community of apprentices, interns, and neighbors.

Starting with just one acre of vegetables and a 20-member CSA in 2008, the Millsaps have spent nearly two decades learning what it truly means to farm well — for the land, for their family, and for their community. Today, the farm grows roughly two acres of vegetables and flowers and operates more than 25,000 square feet of growing space under high tunnels and solar-heated greenhouses. Using organic practices, they grow nutrient-dense food for their CSA members, local markets, and restaurants year-round.

Millsap Farm is more than a business — it’s a learning community. Interns, WWOOFers, and neighbors share in the daily rhythm of planting, harvesting, and gathering around the table. Every decision reflects a deep commitment to stewardship, from no-till beds and solar heating to water-wise growing systems that protect clean water, healthy soil, and biodiversity.

At the heart of the farm is a simple mission: to grow healthy food in a way that sustains people, the land, and future generations — while cultivating lasting connections between eaters, farmers, and learners across the Ozarks.

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

CSAs are a partnership between farmers and eaters.
‍CSA members purchase a share of the farm’s produce before the growing season begins and then receive a share of the harvest each week during the season. Within this partnership is the idea that all people are responsible for the care of the earth. Members of a CSA support the farmers as they tend the earth in a responsible way, while growing the highest quality produce. Farmers reciprocate by providing local, fresh produce for their members, fresh from the fields, at the peak of their freshness, flavor, and nutrition.

The Challenge: Growing More than Vegetables
‍It’s August. You’re nearly four months into your first year as a CSA member. The first month you were excited; ready to turn over a new leaf in your eating habits, have local produce, and even take your kids to the farm once or twice. In June you were making gazpacho with roma tomatoes and omelets with local eggs, onions, and peppers.But then school started and your obligations increased. You got tired of kale chips a weekago and now red radishes seem to be piling up in the back of your fridge. Becoming aCSA member seemed like such a good idea, but now you’re not so sure. At some point, most, if not all, of our CSA members have been in this place. CSA’s aren’t just about vegetables, they’re about learning. Most of us can’t purchase land or grow our own food but we can learn to cook with it and to use it in new ways. While we seek to provide members with the foods they crave, we also want to introduce our CSA members to new ways to appreciate food. We encourage members to persevere; and take into account that it can take a couple CSA seasons to fully acclimate to the lifestyle of being a member of a Community Supported Agriculture program. But one thing we stress is that it is worth it!

You will be amazed at how easy and fulfilling it can be to cook with new produce; and just how good carrots and sweet red radishes can taste!4GROWING PRACTICESGood for the Earth, Good for you!

At Millsap Farms, we take very seriously the importance of caring for the Earth, preserving natural resources, and understanding the effects agriculture has on surrounding ecosystems. That is why we engage in many organic practices on our farm. These practices include but are not limited to the use of organic fertilizers and insecticides (insecticidal soaps, neem oil, etc.), no-till planting, cover cropping, composting, utilizing hedgerows and natural borders for pollinators, crop rotation, and more.

Are we certified organic?

‍Millsap Farms is not a certified organic farm. We feel that the USDA program does not integrate into our unique farm operations, and for that reason we do not have an official certification with the Department of Agriculture.Do we ever sell products for other farms?We do include products from other farms in our CSA boxes. While the majority of the products are grown on our farm, we do supplement specialty crops from other local farms. This includes but is not limited to citrus, grapes, apples, all of our meat products, and winter squash.Note exceptions to organic productsMost of the farms that we purchase supplementary produce from are either certified organic or utilize practices that do not use pesticides or herbicides. If, however, any CS Aproduct is grown using conventional methods, this will be indicated in your weekly CSA box summary.