Luling Foundation's initial goal of helping producers still achieved

By MONETTE TAYLOR | South Central Texas Edition

March 13, 2003 -- While there are few men who can claim to have made and lost several fortunes, even less have gained attention by giving much of the fortunes away to others. Edgar B. Davis, founder of the Luling Foundation was one of those men.

Born and reared in a "strict New England Calvinist tradition," he and his brother, Oscar, were taught that if they were good people, worked hard, saved their money and chose their investments very carefully, even poor men could be successful.

The Luling Foundation farm, on the western edge of Luling in Caldwell County, is living proof of that belief.

After making fortunes in the shoe industry in the states and the rubber industry in Sumatra, Davis decided to try "wildcatting" for oil in South Central Texas. From 1919, when he first started looking for oil, until 1926 when he discovered oil in the Edwards formation, Davis spent all of what he had and even went into debt to complete the first, successful well.

"In 1926, he (Davis) sold his holdings to Magnolia Petroleum (later called Mobile Oil) for a tremendous amount of $12,100,000, which was the largest conveyance of oil property in the State of Texas, and perhaps the nation, at that time," said Michael Kuck manager of the Luling Foundation farm.

To celebrate the sale, Davis threw a party for thousands of residents of Luling. In the book, "Edgar B. Davis: Wildcatter Extraordinary" by Riley Froh, he stated that the guests consumed "12,200 pounds of beef, 5,180 pounds of mutton, 2,000 fryers, 8,700 ice cream sandwiches, 85 gallons of ice cream, 7,000 cakes, 6,560 bottles of near beer, 28,800 bottles of soft drinks and unknown quantities of beans, potato salad, pickles and coffee."

Perhaps, it was the voracious appetites of the crowd, along with the producers struggling to make ends meet, that gave Davis the dream of a working, agricultural farm to help all people make better use of the land and their animals.

"Along the way, he announced plans to make a $1 million gift of property and capital for a demonstration farm, to be called the Luling Foundation," Kuck explained. "He (Davis) wrote a charter which directed us to create opportunities in agriculture, and we interpret that to be done through practical farm and ranch demonstrations."

The original property consisted of 1,200 acres, with 5.5 miles of San Marcos River frontage, bordered by Luling and old Highway 90.

"He (Davis) saw the farmers and ranchers in the area struggling, even as he was struggling in the oil field, and when he became wealthy through his oil findings, he wanted to repay the community by developing this farm. He really had compassion for farmers and ranchers in the area," added Kuck.

Davis realized the cotton farmers in the area had no idea about crop rotation, and did not know what to do about soil and wind erosion, insect problems and general management practices. The Luling Foundation would address all of these problems.

Not only did Davis make the $1 million gift, but he offered equipment and draft animals to start the farm.

To this day, the original charter is followed, and the farm has been in constant service to producers in Caldwell, Guadalupe and Gonzales counties, yet anyone is welcome to join in the projects, according to trustee "Bodey" Langford.

When the Foundation originally started, Dean Edwin J. Kyle, who was then head of the school of agriculture and chairman of the Department of Horticulture at Texas A&M University (TAMU), heard about Davis' gift and called to be of service. Thus started the almost a century of partnering with the Extension service and the Luling Foundation.

Nowadays, the Foundation is very involved in cattle, goats and crops.

"We have on-going operations involving livestock, which include cattle and goats. The cattle operation consists of two on-going bull tests. One is a total forage test, and one is a combination forage and feed. We, also, have a commercial cow herd, and we have a registered Angus herd that we use to produce high quality breeding stock for commercial producers in the area.

"We just started a F-1 program. We're using Angus cows and Brahman bulls to create high quality females for sale to those producers," said Kuck.

The bull tests are by consignment, and there is a new rotation program for cattle gain, as well as artificial insemination and embro-transfer programs available. On any given day, there are approximately 300 to 500 head of cattle on the property.

There are around 75 to 100 Spanish Boar goats on the farm, to help producers understand what it takes to raise a good herd on a smaller farm, and the Foundation offers the goats' off-spring to local FFA or 4-H students for stock show projects. If the student cannot afford to purchase the animal, there is a loan process he/she can access through the Foundation for that purpose.

As far as crops, early in the production of the farm, over 100 acres of different varieties of pecans were planted, and most of them are still in production, according to Kuck.

The farm is in the fourth of a five-year conservation tillage program, as well as a winter pasture trial comparing varieties of oats and wheat that would work best for the area.

"Sometimes, we take the risk for them (producers) so they can see what's a great idea, or maybe not such a great idea," laughed Kuck.

On the Annual Field Day, to be held on May 15, three agricultural scholarships will be given - one to each of the three mentioned counties, as well as a healthcare scholarship.

In sharing his vision and wealth with the people of South Central Texas, Davis has aided and involved producers, and invented more opportunities than ever imagined. In a letter to a friend, written on May 25, 1926, author Froh quoted Davis as saying:

"I may go broke again, but it looks as though I would have the fun of giving away several millions of dollars before I do so."