Celebration of conservation

Stanton Family Farms of Centralia, Mo., has been recognized with the 2025 Missouri Agriculture Stewardship Award, which spotlights careful and responsible management of the land, natural resources and animals entrusted to the care of the state’s farmers and ranchers.

“Missouri has a longstanding tradition of environmental stewardship,” said Ashley McCarty, Missouri Farmers Care executive director. “By embracing innovative practices, we are not only safeguarding our rich natural heritage, but also enhancing the quality of life for Missourians today and tomorrow. The Stanton family leads by example in managing their farm’s natural resources.”

Stanton Family Farms received the award Dec. 9 at the Missouri Farm Bureau Annual Meeting in Osage Beach. An independent panel of agriculture and conservation leaders reviewed the applications for the award, which comes with a $5,000 cash prize.

“Stanton Family Farms is a true representation of a multi-generational family farm,” said Scott Edwards, NRCS Missouri state conservationist. “They have embraced conservation across their diverse farming operation and work to reduce erosion, maintain soil health and limit downstream impacts in the watershed.”

The stewardship award is presented by Missouri Farmers Care (MFC), a coalition of agriculture groups, including MFA Incorporated. Other support is provided by the Missouri Corn Merchandising Council, Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service along with MFC members such as Missouri Fertilizer Control Board, FCS Financial, Missouri Cattlemen’s Association, Missouri Farm Bureau, Missouri Soil and Water Conservation Program and The Nature Conservancy.

Stanton Family Farms is founded on management principles that enhance production, protect the soil and water, and support the operation’s success, said Andrew Stanton, who took ownership of his family’s generational farm during the agricultural crisis of the 1980s.

“We use soil stewardship practices to keep our soil here. You can’t get soil back, so we work to keep it in place,” Andrew said. “It’s a legacy.”

Today, the farm encompasses two family businesses working side by side. Andrew and his wife, Judy, grow crops and cattle as Stanton Farms. Their sons, Dustin and Austin, own Stanton Brothers, an egg production business specializing in cage-free, brown eggs marketed directly to consumers.  

Andrew credits modern agriculture technologies for enabling farmers to continually improve soil stewardship practices. Stanton Farms uses many of these tools to protect and improve their land. Seeds are drilled into the soil with minimal tillage to reduce soil disturbance and erosion. Tractors are equipped with GPS and auto-
steer to ensure that fertilizer and crop protection products are applied as accurately and efficiently as possible. The Stantons are precise with crop protection product applications, often using a drone to reduce soil compaction and save valuable time. Their combine gathers yield data to help inform the family’s decisions about next year’s cropping plan.

Stanton Farms is situated on a rolling landscape in the watersheds of several creeks and rivers, and the family diligently ensures that their farming practices do not have a negative impact on their downstream neighbors. Grass buffer strips slow water as it crosses the farm, nearly eliminating soil erosion. Fertilizer and crop protection applications are done during times with no forecasted rainfall, so inputs stay in the field. Crop rotation and cover crops keep soil covered and in place, keeping water clean while adding organic matter to build healthy soils. 

“It’s not about trying to take from the land so that we get the most out of it,” Dustin said. “It’s about what we can give to the land so that we can live here and the next generation can as well.”

Stanton Family Farms is a leader and example of farm sustainability and natural recycling. Grain grown by Stanton Farms provides feed year-round for the Stanton Brothers’ flock of 7,200 chickens that produce 500 dozen eggs daily. Manure from the chicken barn is applied across pastures and crop fields, recycling nutrients that grow lush pastures for beef cattle and grain to feed the chickens.

“Did my great-grandfather ever think we would be standing on this soil here today?” Andrew said. “I’m hoping someday my great-great-great-grandson can stand here because we protected the land.”

For more information on the award, visit mofarmerscare.com/agstewardshipaward.   

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