[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 15312]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  REMEMBERING ALTO ``BUD'' ADAMS, JR.

 Mr. NELSON. Mr. President, I would like to recognize the 
legacy of an extraordinary Floridian and friend who passed away this 
past weekend.
  Alto ``Bud'' Adams, Jr., owner of Adams Ranch, died this weekend at 
age 91. Born in Fort Pierce, FL, in 1926, Bud was known in Florida and 
around the Nation for developing the Braford breed, a new breed of 
heavy-yielding cattle, crossed between the Herefords and the Brahmans, 
that was better able to handle the heat of south Florida.
  For 75 years, Bud Adams tended the family-owned Adams Ranch, which 
has grown to 50,000 acres of land across St. Lucie, Madison, 
Okeechobee, and Osceola Counties.
  The family's land is home to one of the largest cow-calf ranches in 
the country. This land was also one of the first sets of conservation 
easements to be added to the Everglades. Today thousands of acres of 
Adams Ranch land have been placed into permanent land trust, including 
part of the Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and 
Conservation Areas.
  Adams Ranch was first purchased in 1937 for $1.50 an acre by Bud's 
father, Florida Supreme Court Judge Alto Adams, Sr.
  Since then, Adams Ranch has received multiple environmental awards 
from Audubon Florida, the Farmers Conservation Alliance, and the 
National Cattlemen's Beef Association for the owners' leadership in 
land, water, and wildlife management.
  Bud was also honored with the Pete Hegener Leadership Award by the 
Economic Development Council of St. Lucie County, an honor presented 
every year to a dedicated business leader who makes a significant 
contribution to St. Lucie County's economy and quality of life.
  Bud Adams was not just a cattleman and businessman; he was a devoted 
environmental conservationist and a philanthropist. Bud founded the 
United Way of St. Lucie County and supported causes like the A.E. 
Backus Museum & Gallery and Heathcote Botanical Gardens. He also sat on 
the board of the Indian River State College Foundation.
  In Bud's own words, ``It is not enough for us to just do a good job 
breeding and caring for cattle. We must have a more holistic approach 
that keeps man, cattle, wildlife, and the land in a relationship that 
is profitable, productive and can be continued indefinitely.''
  Bud showed us what it truly meant to be an environmental steward and 
a cowboy. He always took pride in his management of land, water, and 
wildlife, and Florida is better because of it.
  I extend my deepest condolences to his family, particularly his wife, 
Dorothy. He is also survived by his sister Elaine Harrison; his 
children Alto Lee Adams, III, and his wife, Cindy, Michael L. Adams and 
his wife, Rachael, and Robert Adams and his wife, Cindee; his 
grandchildren; and great-grandchildren.

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