Ag community wipes out construction debt in record time

• Bart Goebel, left, presents Harvey Mueller the final payment of $1.5 million to retire the loan for construction of the Ag Friar complex. Next to Mueller is Greg Gossett, president of the Cuero Livestock Show, and Anthony Netardus, DeWitt County AgriLife Extension Agent. (Staff Photo)

Virginia S. Gilstrap, reporter/ managing editor

County ag leaders breathed a sigh of relief on June 4 as they retired the debt for construction of the new Ag Friar complex, raising the final $1.5 million in the last three months.

In 2020, DeWitt County land owner Harvey Mueller decided to finance a new ag center for young people to show their projects. Mueller said he got the idea from his friend at Full-O-Pep.

“Greg (Gossett) kept bugging me about it,” he said.

Gossett, the CEO of Full-O-Pep and president of the Cuero Livestock Show, knew of Mueller’s wish to help young people experience the agriculture way of life.

“I grew up on a farm,” Mueller said, “I did all the work.”

He recalled raising a calf for the De-Witt County 4-H program and showing it at the Houston Livestock Show. Occidental Petroleum sponsored him that year and called to ask what he needed.

“They bought me a pair of boots made by Bohne in Cuero,” he said. “Now my company employs a young guy from Occidental Petroleum, so it’s come full circle.”

At the Houston Livestock Show, Mueller remembers meeting Gene Autry, the famous singing cowboy movie star. The experience impressed upon him the idea that a person could get rewards and recognition for working in agriculture. Mueller wants to encourage young people to learn about agriculture. He said not all of the competitors in the stock show will go into it as a career, but some will.

“We need people – the WORLD needs people to provide food,” he said.

The total loan and construction cost was $2.5 million to start. Mueller allowed two years of interest-free terms, then 4% thereafter. At this year’s stock show in February, $1.5 million remained on the balance. Mueller proposed matching funds of up to $750,000, or half of the balance, raised by the Cuero Stock Show by May 31, 2024.

Donations since the stock show totaled $767,000, including $98,000 from youth competitors donating portions of their livestock sales.

On Monday, June 3, Mueller presented the matching check of $750,000 to the Cuero Stock Show. The following day, AgriLife Extension Agent Anthony Netardus gathered with Mueller, Gossett and stock show treasurer Bart Goebel to present the final payment. The group marveled at finishing the project in four years.

“How long did you think it would take?” Mueller asked.

“Five to ten years,” Netardus said.

Having served as the county extension agent for 30 years, Netardus voiced relief that the project is completed.

“I didn’t want to leave it for the next generation to finish,” he said, holding the hand-written $1.5 million check. “We wanted to turn over a clean slate.”

The debt retirement sets the stage for the next generation of De-Witt County ag youth to feed the world.