Whether it’s bad weather or bad policy in Washington, the Millershaskis are determined to keep going no matter what, and job is to advocate for producers like them. Message from Rep. Tracey Mann. Having Trouble Viewing? Click Here. Fellow Kansan, Agriculture is the heartbeat of the Big First District. Each month, I will 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,   Mann.House.Gov Kansas Ag Hero of the Month: The Millershaski Family The Millershaskis from Lakin are this month’s Ag Heroes not only because they run a multi-generational family operation, but also because their passion for agriculture goes beyond production to advocacy. Gary and Jana Millershaski farm with their sons Kyler and Jeremy on the same land farmed by Jana’s father Earl, who was born in the farmhouse in 1930. Earl passed away in 2019, but his daughter, son-in-law, and grandsons are proudly carrying on the tradition he loved so much, and his widow Judy still prepares food with Jana for their harvest celebrations. The Millershaskis grow wheat, dryland corn, milo and they have a cow/calf operation. Gary serves on both the Kansas Wheat Commission and the U.S. Wheat Associates Board of Directors, while Kyler serves on the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers and the Kansas Wheat Commission Research Foundation Board of Directors. The Millershaskis have the kind of deep love for Kansas that comes from nearly a hundred years of working the land. “We go that extra step to take care of the ground because we’re excited when it produces better, but it’s also a family heritage thing,” said Kyler. “This is what my grandparents did. They passed it down to my father, now it’s being passed down to me, and I want to pass it down to my kids one day.” The Millershaskis exemplify the Kansas spirit – they are self-starters, custodians of both the land and the tradition of their ancestors, and pioneers of agriculture’s future. The Millershakis’ operation, and so many other family operations like it, highlight why we need to strengthen and protect crop insurance and preserve stepped-up basis in the tax code. Little rain and high winds across Kansas in the past year have caused nearly unprecedented soil erosion and crop loss, and without the public-private partnership of crop insurance, family operations like the Millershakis’ can’t survive. If stepped-up basis disappears from the tax code, these family operations will disappear from American soil while the government collects tens of millions of dollars in new capital gains taxes. Whether it’s bad weather or bad policy in Washington, the Millershaskis are determined to keep going no matter what, and job is to advocate for producers like them. “We’re not going anywhere,” said Kyler. “We’re going to keep doing what we do, and doing it well.” Do you know someone who is a Kansas Ag hero? Let me know by clicking the button below. Share Ag Heroes with me here. Follow Me on Social Media: CONSTITUENT SERVICES     OFFICE LOCATIONS Manhattan Office 317 Houston Street Suite A Manhattan, KS 66502 Phone: (785) 370-7277 Dodge City Office 100 Military Avenue Suite 203 Dodge City, KS 37801 Phone: (620) 682-7340 Washington D.C. Office 344 Cannon HOB Washington, D.C. 20515 Phone: (202) 225-2715 If I can do anything to help you, please reach out to my office. Sincerely,   Rep. Mann | 344 Cannon House Office Bldg., Washington, DC 20515 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected]