Local Farms and Nurseries in South Dade

The lush, tropical landscape of South Dade is dotted with locally owned farms and nurseries. Skip the line at the grocery store and take a scenic drive to score a bounty of fresh, local produce and flowers to add flavor and brilliant color to your Greater Miami & Miami Beach experience.

Shop at Local Farms and Farmstands

Craving fresh air and fresh produce? Many of Miami’s farms let you pick your own berries or shop for seasonal fruits and vegetables.

Robert is Here Fruit Stand and Farm

Also in Homestead, the popular Robert is Here Fruit Stand and Farm has been around since 1959. In the intervening 60-plus years, the business has expanded into quite the attraction, selling a range of locally sourced and exotic fresh fruits and vegetables, such as carambola, mamey, lychee, atemoya, papayas and mangos. Robert, who still runs the store today, also sells his famous fresh-fruit milkshakes and smoothies plus plenty of delectable homemade jellies, preserves and Key lime pies. Robert Is Here has a play area, picnic tables and an animal farm with goats, emus, pigs and cows, making it perfect for an outing with the entire family. It was the first Florida-based institution added to the National Food & Beverage Foundation's National Culinary Heritage Register, a prestigious list of culinary establishments that are at least 50 years old.

The Berry Farm

With its self-proclaimed mission of “bringing a piece of country to Miami,” The Berry Farm (formerly Burr’s Berry Farm) is a third-generation, family-owned business that has been operating for over 70 years in Redland. From mid-September to late May, you can purchase fresh produce, including strawberries, tomatoes, watermelon, onions and cilantro. Spread across 30 acres, The Berry Farm promises fun for all ages with annual festivals, a sunflower field, a corn maze, live music on weekends, hay barrel stacks and tunnels, an ice cream parlor, a covered playground and even a barbecue and taco stand.

Knaus Berry Farm

If you’re in Homestead between November and April, a visit to Knaus Berry Farm is a must. Famous for its gooey cinnamon rolls and delicious strawberry milkshakes, this farm and bakery is a longstanding local favorite. What started in 1956 as two brothers running a small fruit stand has grown into a thriving family business. Today, guests can pick their own strawberries and tomatoes and enjoy fresh-baked goods, ice cream, jams, jellies and honey.

Little River Cooperative

A multidisciplinary farming project, Little River Cooperative in Redland empowers people to grow their own food and medicine by educating them about farming in an urban environment. Visitors can take gardening workshops, learn about farming in tropical climates and shop for plants and produce. In addition to its five-acre avocado grove, the farm is best known for its heirloom tomatoes, vegetable seedlings, culinary herbs, medicinal plants, flowers, butterfly host plants and tropical fruit trees. Visit the farm from November to April. Little River Cooperative also ships plants and gardening supplies nationwide.

FarmHouse Miami

FarmHouse Miami is a family-owned farm offering a one-of-a-kind agritourism experience for the whole family. Take the kids to ride horses, feed koi in the pond or visit with the animals in the petting zoo. If you want to try something new, sign up for goat yoga, gellyball or one of the gardening workshops. Visitors who are interested in seeing what goes on behind the scenes can take a tour to learn about farm operations or tour through the Redland area see local farms, produce fields and wildlife. Visit the farmers market on Sundays or chow down at the onsite restaurant, which features farm-to-table plates, including grilled corn on the cob with butter and cotija cheese or fire-grilled small potatoes with tropical seasoning.

LNB Grovestand

Founded in 1980, the family-owned LNB Grovestand – the business’s name is a creative version of the founders’ last name, Ellenby – specializes in growing tropical fruit as well as landscaping bamboo and turmeric. Stop by its weekend market to sample products made using produce grown on the farm. The rainbow smoothies, a seasonal mix of tropical fruits and vegetables, are a popular choice. So is LNB’s signature turmeric concentrate, an organic product that blends a whole turmeric root with honey, ginger and lemongrass tea. If you’re visiting on a Sunday and looking for a bite to eat, snag a turmeric everything bagel served with scallion cream cheese.

Visit Local Nurseries

More fun awaits beyond the farms. Check out these open-to-the-public nurseries offering gorgeous flowers, plants, pottery and art.

R.F. Orchids

Walking into the nursery at R.F. Orchids in Homestead, you’ll be greeted by a blooming tropical garden of bright, colorful orchids. This nursery, which sells only orchids and offers custom arrangements, has the largest selection of flowering orchid plants in Miami. Tours of the gardens are offered on weekends, weather permitting.

Isaac Farms

The owners of Isaac Farms travel the world to find the most exotic succulents and cactus species that will thrive in the Florida climate. The farm, located just north of Homestead, sells pottery and wood art to help customers enhance their own gardens. The farm also specializes in landscape production, design and installation.

New Beginning Nursery & Services Corp.

New Beginning Nursery & Services Corp. is a South Dade nursery known for its quality plants, friendly customer service and reasonable prices. The staff is highly knowledgeable about everything from small plants to trees, and many customers take advantage of the store’s excellent landscaping services.