The Adams Ranch

Water and Wildlife Conservation in the Everglades Headwaters

WildLandscapes is working to conserve 7,817 acres on the historic Adams Ranch, a critical opportunity for Congress to preserve Florida agriculture, water quality for ten million Floridians, and endangered wildlife in the Everglades Ecosystem, a UNESCO world heritage site.

Adams Ranch is a key property in the Everglades Headwaters. The property consists of native dry and wet prairies, mesic hardwood hammock, and Lake Marion shore. The wetlands and native prairies promote healthy wildlife populations as fire and cattle management strategies effectively improve land and conserve water while natural systems benefit cattle productivity by reducing pest species. The Ranch is important to Florida grasshopper sparrows, Audubon’s caracaras, gopher tortoises, and is used by juvenile Florida panthers. 

Supporting Florida’s Ranchers

The Adams family is a leader in the Florida ranching community. Five generations have managed the 30,000-acre Adams Ranch to raise grass-fed, all-natural beef. In the process, they have created jobs that have grown the local economy, all while conserving water, wildlife, and the unique Florida ranching culture. Bud Adams, who passed away in 2016, led the Florida ranching community in working with the land and developing sustainable ranching techniques. He developed Bradford cattle, a breed well-adapted to hot Florida summers; they are fed an efficient all-grass diet, and are a healthy breed with little veterinary care or human attention required.

For more information, see our project book below: