Kansas Farmers Face Record Costs as Senate Race Splits Rural Voters
The Preisser family in Sylvia, Kansas, reports operating costs rose by over $737,000 in 2026, driving some local farmers to break party lines in the final weeks of the election.
By Ana Castro ·
A family farm in Sylvia, Kansas, spent $737,375 more to operate in 2026 than it did in 2025.
The Preisser family provided a breakdown of those expenses to CBS News. Fertilizer costs increased by $514,625, while diesel expenses rose by $187,000 due to the Iran war. Parts costs went up by $10,000, a change the family attributed to steel tariffs. Revenue fell by $325,000 over the same period as drought cut crop yields by 20% and trade disputes reduced exports.
Jeff Preisser, 50, manages the 6,500-acre operation, which grows corn, cotton, soybeans, and wheat. He stated he is unsure if the farm will survive through next year. His father, Larry Preisser, who started the business, said he will vote for Democrat Adam Hamilton for the first time. Hamilton is a pastor seeking to become the first Democrat to represent Kansas in the Senate since the 1930s.
Larry Preisser expressed disillusionment with Republican leadership. He noted that Congress has not passed a new Farm Bill since 2018. The previous bill officially expired two years later. "Two years [later], we got no farm bill, nothing," he said.
The political split extends across the family. Jeff Preisser said he was not sure if he would vote, but if he did, it would not be for Republican Sen. Roger Marshall. "We need someone who's not Roger Marshall," he said. His sister, Mandi Sieren, said she does not trust either party enough to vote. Tracy Chambers, a local landowner who supports Hamilton, told them, "Your vote is your voice."
Mick Roush, a soybean farmer an hour away, shared similar financial concerns but plans to stick with Marshall. He described Hamilton as too liberal. Many farmers in the region support Marshall because he is from farm country. They view the economic strain from the Iran war as temporary and justified by the need to prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon.
An April survey sponsored by Farm Journal found that 73% of farmers and ranchers believe elected officials do not understand their realities well. On every economic issue tested, at least one in five respondents did not trust either party to deliver for them. President Trump announced an $8 billion program for farmers at a rally in Wichita last week. The Preisser family called the program a "Band-Aid" for a broken system.
Larry Preisser said he had to sell land that had been in the family for 140 years to cover bills. Jeff Preisser said he had to refinance all of his equity, leaving no cushion for bad years. "There is no more equity in anything," he said. Nationwide, farm bankruptcies rose 46% in 2025, according to the National Farm Bureau. The U.S. Department of Agriculture projects farm debt will reach $624.7 billion in 2026.
