William A. “Bill” Graham grew up on the edge of the Everglades and made his mark on Florida agriculture within the dairy and cattle industries. During the 1950s, he played a leadership role in organizing the Independent Diary Farmers Association and served as its first president. This effort spurred the creation of a federal milk marketing order for the rest of the state, allowing Florida dairies to compete against the Midwest dairy industry.  At the same time, Graham also built a herd of cattle and focused on developing it into a registered Angus herd. Today it is recognized as one of the country’s finest Angus herds. A pioneer in new technology, Graham embraced artificial insemination, embryo transfers, and the use of ultrasonography of carcass traits. He was one of the first dairy farmers to adopt the use of milking parlors. As a result of diversification, The Graham Companies are involved in diary farming, sugar cane, Angus beef cattle, pecan groves, timber and real estate development.