The Duda Pavilion at the Brevard Zoo

The Duda Pavilion at the Brevard Zoo. . In 1991, A. Duda and Sons, a corporation privately held by the Duda family, donated 56 acres of land here within the New Town community of Viera to the people of Brevard County as a site for the new Brevard Zoo. The land is part of a 38,000-acre tract the family had purchased for a cattle ranch in 1943., The Dudas have been in agriculture since the turn of the century when Andrew Duda Sr.and his family first came to America seeking religious freedom and escape from government oppression. Along with other Slovak immigrants, they established the Lutheran community of Slavia in central Florida. To make a living, the Dudas turned to the farming skills they brought with them from their homeland. Over the years, hard work and respect for the land has earned the Dudas worldwide recognition as farmers and producers of quality products. Today, five generations and 68 years after their first successful celery harvest, Duda Farms all across the United States, in two foreign countries, and is the largest grower of celery and radishes in the world. The family-owned company also grows and ships a variety of other fresh vegetables, citrus, cane sugar, cattle and sod. Their New Town development and other real estate endeavors began in 1985, with ground being broken for Viera in 1989. Viera means “faith” in the Slovak language., It is the sincere wish of the Duda family and of the management and Board of Directors of A. Duda and Sons, Inc. that all who enter the Brevard Zoo and the Duda Pavilion will come away with renewed appreciation for the beautiful land and the plants and animals that live here.