Tracey Mann on Kansas Ag Hero of the Month
Fellow Kansan,
Agriculture is the heartbeat of the Big First District. Each month, I highlight the life and work of Kansas ag heroes – the people who make our state the pilot light of America and who inspire me to continue fighting for Kansas farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers.
Yours in service,
Tracey Mann
Lisa Schemm is doing what she does every summer: watching the skies, checking moisture levels, and keeping one eye on the wheat and the other on the milo. But this year’s harvest feels a bit different; there’s more moisture in the soil and hope in the air, even as prices stay low. In western Kansas, timing is everything—and so is patience.
Lisa, alongside her husband David, and their son Clay, are the fourth and fifth generation to farm their land in Sharon Springs, Kansas. Over the last few years, Clay has begun taking over the management of the operation alongside his parents. While they primarily grow wheat, the family also farms milo and corn. With the Kansas wheat harvest in its final stages, that means long days in the field and countless split-second decisions for Lisa. After navigating droughts, a lack of moisture for crops throughout the fall and winter, and prices still relatively low, Lisa calls this season one of “hope and a prayer.” For Lisa and her family, the foundation of the hope and faith they cling to was deepened nearly a decade ago.
Lisa and David’s son, Luke, was a gifted athlete, a dedicated farmhand, and a source of joy and laughter to everyone who knew him. Before one of his high school football games, Lisa remembers being stuck on a combine repair when Luke stayed up late to help her find the part and teach her how to install it. That was who he was: someone who showed up consistently for the people he loved. Tragically, Luke passed away in 2015 during his senior year of high school. Rather than letting Luke’s passing bring their hope to a halt, it deepened it.
Luke knew that he wanted to answer the call to farm his family’s land one day. He’d already picked out the land he’d hoped to farm and call his own one day. He and his brother took their 4H money to put down a down payment for the land in Logan County but it didn’t work out. The year after Luke’s passing, Lisa and David were able to purchase the land. They named it Luke’s Ground.
As combines pass through that land each summer, harvest becomes more than a job or calling —it becomes a tribute to their late son. For Lisa, faith and gratitude remain guiding principles in every aspect of her life: blue balloons in the field, sunsets on the horizon, reminders of a bigger story at work.
And during tough seasons like this year, Lisa clings to what really matters–not passing up small opportunities with the people she loves, serving others, hope for tomorrow, and most importantly, her faith.
Today, Lisa continues to lead not only on her family farm but in Kansas agriculture. She represents Sharon Springs as a member of the Kansas Agriculture and Rural Leadership Class XVII. She believes deeply in advocating for agriculture, especially for producers like her, whose livelihoods depend on their crops and who carry those responsibilities with quiet strength. As the distance from farm to fork widens and fewer policymakers have experience on the farm, Lisa’s dedication and leadership help drive sound policy that empowers Kansas farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers to feed, clothe, and fuel the world.
Lisa’s story is rooted not only in leadership and resilience but in love, loss, faith, and hope. Those traits and her unshakeable character are what make her this month’s Kansas Ag Hero.
Thank you, Lisa, for your resilience, leadership, and the example you set for the Kansas agriculture community. It is an honor to serve you in Congress and represent you in the Big First District.
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