Agriculture on all fronts

Semira Mancill and Ronnie Schnell are more than just dedicated professionals — they are passionate agriculturalists who live their love for agriculture beyond their nine-to-five jobs.

During the week, Mancill, DVM and a Diplomate of the American College of Theriogenologists, works as a veterinary diagnostician at the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, TVMDL. In this role, she interprets diagnostic results, communicates with clients and coordinates cases that impact Texas’ agricultural and veterinary communities. 

Schnell, Ph.D., serves as the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service state cropping systems specialist and a professor in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Soil and Crop Sciences. His days are spent teaching classes and helping agricultural producers determine best practices for growing various crops across Texas.

But after working hours, Mancill and Schnell contribute to the agricultural community in a different way as they own and operate their own corn farm in Winchester. 

“It’s a joyful place,” Mancill said. “We are blessed to be working on this land. We nurture the land, knowing our hard work today will feed tomorrow. We must have patience and resilience but are rewarded with the deep satisfaction of working in harmony with nature.”

Small field making a large impact 

Farming takes hard work, long hours and plenty of perseverance — Mancill and Schnell are up for the challenge. They are dedicated to serving the agricultural community while watching their dreams sprout and grow, one stalk at a time.  

They are dedicated to preserving the agricultural heritage of the region. Four years ago, when Schnell heard that his parents’ neighbors were hoping to sell their land to someone who would maintain its agricultural roots, the couple saw an opportunity. 

The couple began by planting 35 acres of corn, which is ranked second among America’s leading farm commodities and grown for human and livestock consumption, as a biofuel, and as a raw material in various industries.

Mancill and Schnell’s production primarily goes to a local feed mill, where it becomes grain for livestock feed. Corn represents more than 95% of the total livestock grain produced in the U.S.   

Lessons learned the hard way

Since beginning their corn farming journey, Mancill and Schnell have realized that a farming lifestyle is full of unexpected hurdles. Early on, they faced a major setback when wild hogs destroyed about a third of their crop overnight.

In response, Schnell spent three months building an electric fence to keep them out. For a while, the fence served as an excellent barrier protecting their corn, but the weather had other plans in mind. Following a windstorm, a tree fell onto the fence, allowing 16 hogs to enter the field within hours. Despite the curveballs farming throws, Mancill remains optimistic. 

“Farming is fun,” Mancill said. “It’s always something, but if we got upset about every single thing that happens, we wouldn’t truly have a farm. We try to have a sense of humor because that helps us keep moving.” 

Farming fueling family connection 

The corn farm has become woven into the fabric of their family, binding them together while teaching valuable lessons.

Mancill and Schnell often bring their son, Rhys, 11, and daughter, Reata, 7, to the farm on the weekends. Every visit to the cornfield is a lesson in the making, where the children absorb hands-on experience and discover the importance of sustainable farming. 

“Being at the farm really does bring our family closer to the earth and closer to nature,” Mancill said. “We love getting our children involved and showing them how a stalk grows from a seed into an 8-foot-tall plant in such a short amount of time.”  

Schnell said his kids get to see the process of corn growth and hopefully make some connections about where food comes from.

“These crops show up in our lives in many ways, and many people may not recognize it,” he said.

Planting seeds for the future 

Looking ahead, Mancill and Schnell plan to eventually grow corn varieties for flour, which can be made into tortillas, chips and several other food products. This year, Mancill and Schnell plan to experiment with three types of food-grade seeds and observe which one grows best in their soil.

The couple also plans to expand their crops beyond corn. They planted a small assortment of fruit-bearing trees on their property, including peach, pomegranate and orange trees. 

“We have big dreams for this plot of land,” Mancill said. 

Dedication to agricultural excellence   

Whether working at Texas A&M AgriLife or on the family farm, their commitment to agriculture runs deep. It is more than a job — it is a way of life.

“It’s a personal satisfaction of starting something from scratch and watching it come to fruition,” Mancill said. “At the final harvest, we look at our work and say, ‘Look at this, we did this.’”  

For Mancill and Schnell, agriculture isn’t just a career. It’s a calling, driven by a love for the land and a passion for feeding the future.