03/25/2026
The Duda Family Council Service Day at St. Luke’s – The Haven
On Saturday, March 7th, more than thirty residents at The Harbor, Landings & Cottages welcomed The Duda Family Council to enjoy refreshments and storytelling on the porch. The Duda Family Council is a seven-member team who work on behalf of the Duda Family to provide education and development, plan events, cultivate philanthropy, and more for more than 260 family members who live all over the country.
It was a lovely time filled with laughter and memories of days gone by when many residents knew and/or worked with descendants of the Duda Family. The Duda Family Council even brought residents a “care kit” full of useful items to take home.
Back in 1945, the Duda Company founder, Andrew Duda Sr., donated a generous gift of forty acres and $90,000 in cash to the Slovak Evangelical Lutheran Church (SELC) to support his vision of a home for retired ministers, widows and children.
The first of two Lutheran Haven buildings was dedicated on May 30, 1948. Over the years, additional retirement cottages, memory care, and independent living apartments have been added to the property which 285 residents call “home.”
Many may know DUDA for the vast sod fields throughout Oviedo but may not know that DUDA is a fifth-generation family-owned and -operated company headquartered in Oviedo, Florida, with diversified operations in agriculture and real estate, DUDA celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. Land and assets have always been at the foundation of DUDA’s strength and success, from the first 40 Florida acres Andrew Duda purchased in the early 1900s to over 45,000 acres owned and leased today across the U.S. Using good stewardship and land management practices, DUDA strives to achieve its corporate mission as a diversified enterprise through wide-ranging operations and subsidiary companies in agriculture, real estate development, and related businesses.
Starting out as a small celery farm in 1926, DUDA’s business operations today include Duda Farm Fresh Foods, one of the world’s leading producers and suppliers of celery and other quality fresh and fresh-cut produce; The Viera Company, a highly regarded community developer with fully-integrated real estate operations including residential home builder Viera Builders, Duran Golf Club, Viera Commercial Properties, and Viera Pools and Outdoor Living; Duda Ranches, manager of DUDA’s agricultural operations including sod, sugarcane, and cattle; and DUDA Commercial Properties, the company’s asset management portfolio. Guided by a multigenerational leadership team and a family governance structure grounded in its purpose – to multiply and share God’s blessings – DUDA continues to pursue sustainable growth and community impact across its many operations. www.duda.com
