Ag Mag Featured Farmer
W
a c e ñ u M La
Legacy
hen the widowed Antonia Guerra arrived in the United States from Mexico and started planting family roots in 1873 in the small community west of Falfurrias called Charco Redondo, she – and nobody else -- could have any idea how deep, wide and strong those roots would branch out.
“They would sell clothing, fuel, groceries, hardware, seed and everything needed by the farming and ranching families in the two communities that they owned land in.”
“Antonia was a hard-working pioneer woman that loved agriculture,” said Carlos Guerra, one of her great - grandchildren. “We named our new ranch San Antonia in her honor.”
“I have always had a desire to grow our family’s Agriculture and Ag Leadership Legacy,” Carlos said. “I want to leave our ranches and cattle better than when we started so that our next generations can do the same for the next.”
Antonia brought her three children, Crisanta, Dario and Arcadio with her to begin their venture in the United States. Arcadio, Carlos’ grandfather, was 14 at the time and began working at his cousin’s store. Fast forward approximately 20 years later and Arcadio started to invest in ranch country in NE Starr County with his family that he named La Reforma. “He was the first in that area to build a cotton gin which was one of their biggest businesses for over 50 years as they later built one at Old Linn and then later at Linn,” Carlos said. “They also built a grain elevator at Linn in the early 50’s and built the first one in McCook soon after.” The Guerra history is well documented throughout the decades and their work with, in and for agriculture has had a major impact in South Texas and has extended to several states, countries and six continents. “Everything my family did had to do with agriculture and general merchandise stores,” Carlos said.
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Obviously, Carlos was born into agriculture and is quick to admit his ongoing passion for it today and in the future is as strong as ever.
Carlos was born in Edinburg and attended Our Lady of Sorrows in McAllen for elementary school and then Edinburg High School. He graduated from then-UTPA with a degree in Business Management, growing up working on the family farms and ranches in the La Reforma and Linn areas. His wife, named Sister, is also from the Linn-San Manuel community. Carlos is proud to have worked side by side with Sister for 45+ years with Guerra Bros. and now La Muñeca. “We have known each other all of our lives and have gone to the same church since babies,” Carlos said. “Our mothers were best of friends and called each other ‘Hermanas.’” Carlos, his wife, four children and five grandchildren own and operate La Muñeca Cattle Co. which they started in 1989. They raise Registered Polled Brahman and Simbrah cattle whose genetics they sell to six continents, several countries and Ameri-
