Paulsmeyer Farms, Inc. encompasses 3,500 acres under the care of Roger and Duane Paulsmeyer, Matt, Alex, Ben and Eli Paulsmeyer, Marty and Grayson Gerloff. The family grows corn and soybeans and has a herd of commercial cattle. The Paulsmeyers employ work ethic and stewardship values as they utilize modern technologies and innovation to foster their family business.

“The Missouri Corn Merchandising Council proudly congratulates Paulsmeyer Farms on this well-earned honor,” said MCMC Chairman Patrick Seyer, a corn farmer from Oran, Mo. “Their commitment to improving soil health, resource conservation, and innovation reflects some of the best of Missouri agriculture. Through their efforts, the Paulsmeyer family is proving stewardship isn’t just a slogan and agriculture plays a key role in strengthening our communities.”

Ninety-three percent of Missouri land is held by private landowners, with 27 million acres managed as farms and ranches. Missouri farmers take seriously their role in managing natural resources so that they are left in better condition for generations that follow.

“In agriculture, our greatest resource is the land, and as farmers, it is our duty to be good stewards of that land for future generations,” said Mark Lehenbauer, chairman of the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council. “Sustainability is one of the top priorities for our organization, and it’s outstanding to see the spotlight on farm families who are truly living the example of stewardship.”

Missouri Farmers Care Foundation, a coalition of Missouri agriculture groups, presents the Missouri Agriculture Stewardship Award with Missouri Corn Merchandising Council, Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council, The Poultry Federation, and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Award support is provided by MFA Incorporated, Missouri Fertilizer Control Board, FCS Financial, Missouri Cattlemen’s Association, Missouri Farm Bureau, Missouri Soil and Water Conservation Program, and The Nature Conservancy.

“Paulsmeyer Farms exemplifies what the Missouri Agriculture Stewardship Award is all about,” said Blake Rollins, Executive Vice President of The Poultry Federation. “For generations, the Paulsmeyer family has embraced innovation, practiced excellent stewardship, and left their land better than they found it. Their commitment to caring for both their land and their livestock makes them a deserving recipient of the 2026 Missouri Agriculture Stewardship Award.”

An independent panel of agriculture and conservation leaders reviewed the applications for the award. Paulsmeyer Farms received the award at the Missouri Governor's Conference on Agriculture on Nov. 12 in Columbia.

ABOUT PAULSMEYER FARMS - STEWARDS FOR THE FUTURE; PRODUCING A LEGACY

The rich alluvial soil of the Missouri River bottoms near Chamois in Agri-Ready Osage County holds the legacy of fourth generation river bottom farmer, Arthur Paulsmeyer, Sr., and his stewardship of the natural resources entrusted to him. His stories whisper among the timber stands and meander with the river’s curves that block the end of one field from the beginning of the next. Arthur’s farm has evolved but the legacy remains: each generation of Paulsmeyers prioritize leaving the land better for the generations to come and commit to bringing the next generation back to live and work on the family farm.

Award Winning Stewardship

“The 2026 Missouri Agriculture Stewardship Award recognizes the hard work and dedication of our family through the generations. Our farm can serve as an example for others to follow,” says Grayson, who plans to be an eighth-generation river bottom farmer.

Stewards of Modern Innovation

The Paulsmeyers have a research mindset that allows them to farm with exactness, optimizing and protecting the land in their care. Data informed decisions help to eliminate excessive application and over dependence on inputs; they minimize wasting time and resources on things that aren’t effective in the river bottoms.

Paulsmeyer Farms uses drones to reduce water consumption, soil compaction, and allow for precise applications of crop protection products. Track implements are used instead of wheeled tractors to protect soil. Autosteer and auto path innovations improve accuracy and minimize fuel consumption. Rotational grazing allows for forage recovery, biodiversity, and environmental health.

The Cost of Efficiency

“Our uncles wanted us to come back to the family farm, but there wasn’t room to support us,” shares Ben.

By reducing inputs with precision and decreasing dependence on mechanization, less Paulsmeyers were needed to operate the farm. If Arthur Sr.’s great-grandchildren were to get the opportunity to carry on the family’s generational legacy of farming, something had to change.

“Small Town. Big Farm. Bigger Plans.”

To support Ben’s farm salary in 2010 when he returned to the farm post-college, Paulsmeyer Farms acres were dedicated to a produce enterprise he began as a young boy. Ben partnered with his brothers Alex and Eli and started Boys From Chamois. The brothers grow cantaloupe, sweet corn, pumpkins, and watermelons-seeded and seedless. They added a high tunnel for tomato production and grow cucumbers, yellow squash, zucchini, potatoes, and onions. The Boys’ roadside farm stand is a nearly famous destination for fresh produce in Chamois.

The River Runs Through It

River bottom farming is dynamic. Landforms and land use (such as timber stands) affect growing conditions in fields end to end.

“Soil stewardship is more than just what crop we plant, what inputs we choose, or what machines we use,” Ben describes. “Stewardship is also understanding what our soil is made of and where our fields lay in relation to how the river moves. Our decisions about how and where we plant are based on our family’s generational knowledge of how the river runs, where it rushes versus where it rises through the timber, and where it swirls back. It’s not a matter of if it will flood, but when it will flood and how much.”

Looking to the Future

The Paulsmeyer ancestors planted their first crop in the Missouri River bottoms in 1837 and put down roots near Chamois in the 1880’s. Arthur Sr. would appreciate how his work ethic and values still guide the sixth, seventh, and eighth generations of Paulsmeyers through farming practices, land stewardship, leadership, land farm succession in the Missouri River bottoms.