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,

Mann.House.Gov

Kansas Ag Hero of the Month:

Craig Polson

Craig and his wife Linda

Craig Polson has spent his life serving his country—first in the Navy, and then through decades of work in Kansas agriculture.

Raised in Marshall County, Craig grew up helping his father work the land and feed cattle. His dad ran a feedyard with over 1,000 head, one of the first in the area to change to new “top planting” equipment and techniques, and was early in testing new grass and weed control chemicals. The Polson Farm was also one of the first in the area to introduce grain sorghum after many disappointing drought years with earlier genetics of corn.

Flags the Polsons fly 24/7 in their backyard

Across the world, millions of Americans were serving in Vietnam to defend the values and freedoms that allowed Craig and his father to make a living in farming.  His dad’s willingness to lead and try new things on the farm left an impression on him, and despite the ongoing war, led 17-year-old Craig to enlist in the U.S. Navy and answer the call to serve.

During his time in the Navy, Craig was first stationed at Great Lakes, Illinois, where he completed Boot Camp, Basic Electronics School, and then Weapons Radar School. Craig was then given orders to report to the USS Hancock CVA-19, an attack aircraft carrier stationed in Alameda, California. The morning after he reported aboard, the ship left for a nearly 10-month-long deployment to the Gulf of Tonkin. The carrier was doing flight operations and coastal patrol in the waters off the coast of Vietnam. 

It was during this time at sea that he submitted a sealed bid on 160 acres of farmland he had rented since he was a sophomore in high school. The bid was accepted, and from the other side of the world, Craig had become a landowner in Kansas. That land became the foundation of his farming career and the beginning of a life defined by commitment, perseverance, and leadership.

Pond that Craig built on his land

After returning to Kansas, Craig earned a degree in agronomy from Kansas State University while simultaneously farming and serving in the Navy Reserves. In the decades that followed, he grew wheat, soybeans, milo, and later corn. He launched a crop insurance business and a successful commercial pheasant hunting operation on more than 1,200 contiguous acres. Together with his wife Linda, who handled bookkeeping and meals for guests, Craig built a diversified operation grounded in hard work and family values. He retired from the Navy in 1996 with over 21 years of service.

John Deere 3020 that Craig's father bought in 1970 and is still used today on the farm

Craig’s service didn’t end with the land he worked. In 1988, he was appointed to the Kansas Grain Sorghum Commission, where he later served as chairman. He directed sorghum checkoff dollars, much of which was directed toward research at Kansas State. During this period, he also served on the Advisory Board of the Kansas State International Grains Program. He was then appointed to the board of directors of the U.S. Feed Grains Council in our nation’s capital. While in this capacity, Craig was appointed to the International Market Development Committee of the Council and chaired that committee for two years. He traveled to several different parts of the world on trade missions, including many countries within the Soviet Union, to build or strengthen trade relationships and help countries improve livestock nutrition by utilizing U.S grain. One of his major achievements was a long-term feeding project in Egypt for domestic water buffalo that dramatically improved animal growth rate, meat quality, and local food security.

Craig signing a cooperative agreement in Vilnius, Lithuania

Today, Craig remains deeply connected to the agricultural community. He has served on boards and committees within his church as well as local veterans organizations. Although retired from the daily farming operation, he works on conservation efforts on his land and continues to help with the harvesting alongside his two cousins, who rent his and Linda’s cropland. The Polsons raised five children. Four of them hold degrees from Kansas State University. Craig and Linda now enjoy landscaping, hobbies, and time with their growing family, including three grandchildren.

Craig on a trade mission in modern-day Russia

Craig Polson has served his country in two distinct and lasting ways: first in uniform, and then as a farmer, leader, and advocate for American agriculture. His life stands as a testament to the values that make rural Kansas strong: service, stewardship, freedom, and the steady hand of someone who always showed up when it mattered. That life testament makes him this month’s Kansas Ag Hero. 



Thank you, Craig, for your leadership, your lifetime of service, and the example you set for Kansas agriculture. It is an honor to serve you in Congress and represent you in the Big First District.

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