Miami is famous for its alluring beaches and irrepressible urban energy. But this vibrant destination also has a lesser-known pastoral side: a long history of farming that supports a kaleidoscope of cuisines and myriad of dining options. The micro-greens served at Miami’s top restaurants were likely lovingly cultivated in the farmland of South Dade, where the tropical climate allows for a year-round growing season. The Berries decorating dessert or the chunks of mango in a smoothie may have made their way from a Homestead farm to eager lips within hours. To discover where your food came from – and to enjoy even more of it along the way – consider heading south of Miami’s urban core to the farms that produce it, only about an hour away in the Redland and Homestead neighborhoods.
In the Redland you’ll find farms, stands and u-pick outfits selling a bounty of tropical fruits, many of which aren’t grown anywhere else in the country. Mango, mamey, sapodilla, avocado, lychee and jackfruit are all cultivated here and available for purchase in season. Schnebly Redland’s Winery & Brewery is the southernmost winery in the continental United States. Here you can join a 40-minute tour and taste wine and beer made from unlikely ingredients such as lychee and passionfruit. In Homestead is Robert Is Here, a fruit stand and farm that’s been feeding locals and tourists since the eponymous Robert was a young boy in 1959. You won’t know what to buy first: vine-ripened beefsteak tomatoes, tangy tamarinds, delicate dragonfruit and creamy avocados all compete for your attention.
March is the perfect time to visit South Dade’s farms. Many of them have special celebrations in honor of National Agriculture Week.
In town between November and April? You’re in luck! For more than 50 years, families have been making the pilgrimage to Homestead’s Knaus Berry Farm. You can pick your own strawberries and tomatoes here when they’re in season, but it’s the fresh-baked cinnamon rolls and thick fruit shakes that are the stuff of local legend. Lines can be long, so arrive early (they open at 8 a.m. every day except Sundays) and hungry. It’s a sure bet you won’t leave that way.
