DeWitt County youth lead the way in helping pay off Friar Ag Center debt
Staff Reports Tue, 07/09/2024 - 13:52 Image
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The future of agriculture in DeWitt County is shining bright thanks to the incredible generosity of Harvey Mueller and the dedicated young people who raised a staggering $897,000 for the 'Building Dreams: Matching Fund for the Friar Ag Center' initiative!
This campaign surpassed its $750,000 goal, and the secret weapon? Local youth who donated proceeds from their market projects at this year’s Cuero Livestock Show. This isn't a new tradition, but with Mueller's matching funds, their contributions were DOUBLED in impact!
Briley Wieland, DeWitt County 4-H member from Yorktown, led the way, making a huge mark by donating her entire grand champion goat sale proceeds – a whopping $78,000 – to the campaign! This act of selflessness set the tone for the night, inspiring others like Nathan Oakes ($5,000 from his steer), Kassidy Kemp ($1,600 from her broiler project), and Hayden Sanders ($1,000 from his pig) to make significant contributions to the building fund. With Briley’s goat sale the total donated by area youth from this year's sale was $107,610.
Briley Wieland proudly stands with her grand champion goat, which sold for an astounding $78,000 at this year's Cuero Livestock Show. Briley generously donated the entire amount to the building fund, showcasing her remarkable dedication and community spirit. Joe Adams, who led the auction for Briley's goat, says, 'It was very impressive for that young lady to do that! With her doing that upfront, it was an exclamation point showing that they bought into the program.'
This sentiment is echoed by County Extension Agent Anthony Netardus who believes Briley's act 'gave momentum to the matching campaign for the whole community from that night (March 1) to May 31st.” “I thought Briley’s goat would bring ten to twenty thousand dollars maybe. When it climbed the way it did—I was shocked and stunned! I knew from there we were off to a good start for getting that debt paid off,” Netardus said.
Greg Gossett, Cuero Livestock Show board president, emphasized the community's generosity saying, “We knew that when Briley came to us it would have a large impact. Joe took it and ran with it. It was crazy to see that, watch that, and be a part of it. I don’t know if there’s a county show anywhere in the State of Texas that generates the amount of money we do based on the number of sale entries. This community gives to so many things but when you put kids in front of them they really show up and come through.”
Thanks to this incredible community effort, the Friar Ag Center is officially debt-free. But the good news doesn't stop there—the Cuero Livestock Show board already has plans for the future. Inside the building, plaques will proudly display the names of donors. Plus, they are gearing up to enclose an outside breezeway and make it climate-controlled for added comfort.
Netardus added, “We’re always on the move as a stock show board. We’ve got exciting projects lined up like pouring concrete in the commercial heifer area to enhance usability and expanding the ag mechanic show area to give it a solid foundation. And that’s just the beginning—we dream of building a new commercial heifer barn near the existing facility to house up to 100 pens of heifers. The commercial heifer program has grown significantly over the years and is a vital part of our livestock show.”
The board has decided to name the entire complex after Harvey Mueller, whose incredible generosity made paying off the debt possible by providing crucial matching funds. This achievement is a true testament to the power of community spirit and the dedication of our future generation of agricultural leaders.
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