The Luling Foundation Recognized for Leaving Enduring Legacy

Plus, paving the way for quality beef production while keeping the community, education a priority.

by Katelyn Engel, 2024 producer communications intern

September 2024

Where once stood rows of nodding pump jacks, now black cattle serenely graze the hill pastures along a boundary river.

In 1922, pungent earthiness and industrial grit filled the air after Edgar B. Davis discovered the oil field 50 miles south of Austin, Texas.

Five years later, driven by providential faith in a vision of sustainable agriculture and community empowerment, Davis put up a million dollars from that flow to establish the Luling Foundation.

After nearly a century, that vision perseveres.

“It’s just so encouraging. Whenever you see true faith in action, it’s infectious,” says Bonnie Dredla, office manager at the Foundation in Luling, Texas.

Davis foresaw a demonstration farm to teach diversity beyond cotton toward more sustainable practices in Caldwell, Gonzales and Guadalupe counties and beyond.

Many facets of agriculture have been explored but cattle now form the core.

Herd manager Michael Kuck says today’s Foundation cattle were bred for multiple traits to deliver profit in the pasture and enjoyable beef for the consumer. It’s more than genetics, he says, noting a holistic approach that encompasses care for the land and animals.

“We have to take care of nutrition, we have to take care of genetics, we have to take care of the environment they live in every day,” Kuck says. “We have to treat them well so they treat us well.”

Underscoring wider collaboration, Dredla says Foundation success “takes a group effort in all facets.”

That enduring focus on quality, unwavering commitment to hospitality and education earned the Luling Foundation recognition as 2024 Certified Angus Beef (CAB) Progressive Partner, awarded at the CAB Annual Conference in September.

Quality Driven

In response to the rising demand for high-quality beef, the Luling Foundation strives to exceed consumer expectations by delivering the best in its freezer beef program.

“Whenever you’re doing the basics and you’re producing a quality product, you’re going to continue to have business, you’re going to continue to have customers, you’re going to continue to have happy people,” Dredla says.

Focusing on carcass genetics, the Foundation enhances weaned calf value from the commercial herd using genetics from its registered Angus herd and CAB programs like Targeting the Brand™.

Although the cuts aren’t labeled as Certified Angus Beef locally, the Luling commitment to excellence ensures satisfaction.

“When you have a quality product, it’s going to sell itself,” Dredla says.

Positive feedback and repeat business validate the dedication, Kuck says. It also motivates Foundation staff to share strategies for enhancing beef quality with fellow producers.

Foundation Chairman Gary Dickenson says the focus on premium beef brands helps producers make more profit from their herds.​

Empowering a Community

Beyond the beef, the Luling Foundation serves as an educational cornerstone for the wider community. Everyone from local grade school students to worldwide travelers realize positive impacts from farm visits.

“We’re very involved in ag literacy,” Dickenson says. “We have a lot of people coming to our field day from town or surrounding areas that have no idea what it takes to be a farmer or rancher.”

That’s why a key goal remains instilling a deeper appreciation of where food comes from and the process required to produce it sustainably.

“It seems like no matter where our visitors are from, near or far, they want to know the story behind the food we produce,” Kuck says.

For those who don’t come from an agricultural background, Dredla remembers Temple Grandin’s advice of showing people basic things they can connect with.

“We lose sight of the simple things that we do on a day-to-day basis,” she says. “People don’t understand how important it is to latch a gate.”

However, the Foundation’s commitment to education extends far beyond agriculture to broader connections and life lessons.

“Something I teach the kids is how important history is,” Dredla says. “Whenever you understand history, sometimes it’s so you don’t repeat other people’s mistakes, sometimes it’s to understand where you came from and sometimes it’s to know where you’re going.”

Continuing the Legacy

Amid the lessons and legacy, there’s a quiet resolve to continue the mission.

“The future of the foundation is to keep on producing the very best quality Angus beef that we can while working on ag literacy,” Kuck says.

Beyond and underpinning that drive for excellence lies the original vision, that providential faith that the work isn’t just about today but paving a path for future generations.

“Whenever you realize that you have a bigger purpose than just waking up, it’s a different light,” Dredla says.

Setting or rising, the sun casts golden hues over cattle grazing the Luling Foundation’s sprawling fields and invokes the weight of history and hope. Rooted in faith, quality and community, Davis’ legacy continues to flourish, reminding all of the profound impact one person’s vision can have.

This story was originally published in the Angus Journal and Angus Beef Bulletin.

You may also like