BOONE CO., Mo. — Andrew Stanton faced a challenge as a youth in agriculture: attend college or stay home to work on the family farm. Even as he faced the economic crisis of the 1980s, Andrew chose to preserve a legacy, taking ownership of his generational family farm. His great-grandfather started the farm in 1845 and the family had persevered through the Depression Era by trapping furs to afford seed. Today Andrew and his wife, Judy, raise beef cattle, grains and forages in Boone County near Centralia. His desire to protect the business, soil, water, and ideals of Stanton Farms has manifested as stewardship practices. His desire is fueled by a legacy mindset.
Stanton Family Farms is the 2025 recipient of the Missouri Agriculture Stewardship Award, which recognizes farmers and ranchers who voluntarily set a high bar for careful and responsible management of the land, natural resources, and animals entrusted to their care.
Soil Protection
Farm finances have a way of dictating farmers’ actions, that open doors to trying new strategies, often revealing great results. Andrew recalls that in the 1980’s there wasn’t enough money available to pay to have terraces built on his farm’s rolling hills. His solution was the development of strategic grass buffer strips along the contours of his farmland to slow water down as it crosses the farm, nearly eliminating erosion. Today he also utilizes crop rotation and cover crops to keep soil covered and in place, adding organic matter and building healthier soils. ““If you make your living from something, that’s what you take care of,” Andrew said. “I use soil stewardship practices to keep our soil here. We can’t get soil back; we have to work to keep it here.”
Resource Protection
As no-till equipment emerged in the 90s, Andrew found himself pressed for time. He needed to plant his seeds faster and utilizing reduced disturbance, no-till equipment reduced the number of trips across each field. He was amazed at the positive results for his pocket watch and his farm’s bottom line. “I’m not here just to get every dollar. I want to make a living and take care of the land,” Andrew confided. He credits modern agriculture technologies for enabling farmers to continually improve stewardship practices. Technologies such as GPS, auto-steer, and drones make it possible for Andrew to reduce waste by making applications with precision, reduce soil compaction, and save valuable time. At harvest, his combine gathers yield data that can be immediately used to inform the family’s decisions about next year’s cropping plan.
Water Protection
Farmers like Andrew invest in inputs to increase the health and productivity of crops, but to succeed, it is imperative that the farm’s inputs stay put and work on the farm. “Farmers do not believe that if a little is good, a lot has to be better. That would be an expensive belief,” Andrew said. All fertilizer and pesticide applications on Stanton Farms are done during a 72-hour dry period, so inputs stay in the field. Not only is Andrew’s production successful, but he protects the water quality of the local communities surrounding his farm. Nestled upon a rolling landscape, the Stanton Farm is in the watershed of creeks and rivers that flow through suburban and urban communities of Boone County. “The grass buffer strips and contour farming help; crop rotation helps; conservation tillage and cover crops all work together. Everything we do preserves the farm and protects our waters,” Andrew shared.
Legacy Protection
Another stewardship decision on Stanton Farms is planting milo, or grain sorghum, as a primary crop. The strong roots of this drought-tolerant plant aerate the soil and replenish organic matter quickly. Its stalks can be used as an efficient feed source for Andrew’s beef herd and the grain provides the feed source for Stanton Brothers, a cage-free, brown egg production business owned by Dustin and Austin Stanton, Andrew and Judy’s two sons, who are continuing the family’s tradition as the fifth generation to live and work on the Stanton Farm. Stanton Farms and Stanton Brothers are two family businesses working side by side.
“What would my great-grandfather think? Did he believe his grandson would still be standing on this soil today?” Andrew mused. Andrew’s reason for choosing to preserve the farm decades ago is short but unites the family’s entire history. “It’s a legacy,” Andrew shared. “I was born into it but I had a choice. It was passed on to me and I want to pass it on to my sons and hopefully they can pass it on to theirs. It’s the reason I do what I do.”
Stay tuned for “Part 2” of the Stanton Family Farms Story…..
The Stanton family advocates for the future of agriculture as active members of the industry’s community. The family volunteers with the Centralia FFA Alumni. Andrew and Judy are members of Missouri’s Young Farmers/Young Farm Wives Association, Missouri Farm Bureau, and Missouri Cattlemen’s Association, all partners of Missouri Farmers Care.
Agricultural Contributions of Boone County
Food processing is the top agricultural industry in Boone County according to the 2021 Missouri Economic Contribution of Agriculture and Forestry Study. The county’s agriculture economy creates $686.5 million in value-added products, supports more than 9,500 jobs, and generates $629.4 million in household income. According to the 2022 Census of Agriculture conducted by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 95% of Boone County farms are owned by families.
–Missouri Farmers Care
