Curtis Millsap calls what he does for a living “a calling.”
His calling takes place on 20-acres in Springfield, Mo., with his wife, Sarah and their nine children. Curtis Millsap is a teacher, a father and a farmer – and he loves to share his passion with others.
After working numerous jobs throughout his life, Curtis realized he wasn’t quite where he wanted to be, so he turned to farming and has never looked back. Following the principles of sustainable agriculture leaders like Joel Salatin and Elliot Coleman, Curtis and Sarah built Millsap Farm in Greene County, a year round, all-natural produce operation that today hosts three interns annually, two to three paid staff, a 100-member summer Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, a 70-member winter CSA program, and supports a farmers market and several local restaurants within the community.
Millsap Farm follows organic standards for growing their produce and Curtis places a large emphasis on the mantra “grow more produce better.”
“I’m into quality,” he said.
Through detailed record keeping, Curtis and his crew have determined which crops on their 2 ½ acre produce operation are the most profitable for their farm to grow, such as tomatoes, kale, brassicas and alliums, peppers, head lettuce and eggplants. When evaluating a crop for profitability, Curtis takes into account the time it takes to produce it, the marketability, the work calendar fit and land usage.
Much of the produce that comes from Millsap Farm is grown under 12,000 feet of protected production spaces in the form of high tunnels and shorter, “caterpillar” tunnels. The environment created by covering the growing space is very favorable for vegetables.
“Our yield is just so much higher in there,” Curtis said.
Many of the growing tunnels on Millsap Farm are mobile and can be moved via a tractor or other vehicle, or by hand, to fresh ground. Curtis noted that this practice lowers the risk of disease build-up in the soil.
“We have a tremendous tool in rotation,” he said. “That’s the organic solution – new ground.”
Millsap Farm has also added diversity and transparency to their operation through agritourism. The farm is open to the public for tours, field trips and workshops, and every Thursday from May through October, the Millsap family hosts a Pizza Night, where guests purchase a ticket to enjoy live music and wood fired pizza from home-built pizza ovens with family and friends.
“It’s a very valuable part of how we interact with the community,” Curtis said. Millsap Farm’s Pizza Night is a way to add diversity to the workweek, and creates an added outlet for the produce, since the pizza menu changes weekly depending on what vegetables are available and in season.
In the coming growing seasons, Millsap Farm plans to add roughly an extra 5,000 feet of protected production space, and to increase fruit production. Curtis also expressed interest in building guest cabins where guests could come and stay, and get a real working farm experience. He hopes to continue to share his way of life with others, and to keep fostering relationships that connect the community to the land.
“We are very intentional about being stewards of the earth,” said Curtis.
