In Redland, a tug-of-war between residents and developers marks Miami’s ‘tropical countryside’

Driving down the two-lane country roads in the roughly 50 square miles of unincorporated farmland in Redland, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’re nowhere near Miami-Dade County. Groves of pink and yellow dragon fruit line the streets. Handwritten signs promising rare orchids and fruits from lychee to longan lure you down unpaved driveways. Tangles of bougainvillea and plumeria peek over walls made of native oolite limestone — signature of this urban antidote.

Behind those walls, farms large and small beckon — part of a thriving agritourism industry. For years, the area’s selling point has remained the same.

“It’s still rural,” said Sidney Robinson, a third-generation farmer in Redland, as he careened his golf cart through a mango grove dripping with still-green fruit. “And we want to keep it that way” for future generations, he added.

In recent years, attempts to develop this southwestern patch of Dade, east of the urban development boundary, have become more vigorous, leading to a tug-of-war between those who want to keep Redland rural and developers who see an opportunity to keep building. Farmers and residents like Robinson want to set the record straight: the urban development boundary that protects farmland and environmental areas from encroaching development is not an imaginary line. Known as the UDB, it’s encoded in the books and maps. The line, along with a zoning provision that permits no more than one single-family dwelling on each five-acre parcel, preserves the area’s rural lifestyle. Locals frequently find themselves fighting against rezoning efforts that would turn quiet fields into high-density housing.

But already a few megamansion-style haciendas have crept in among the cottages and ranch houses, between nurseries filled with foliage, row crops, tropical fruits and a variety of other agricultural products. Over the past five years, home prices in the 33031 ZIP code have marched up by almost 34%. The median sales price in March was $565,000, compared to $422,500 in 2016.

“Redland has really exploded in growth and it seems to be pushing into our way of living,” said Fred Hubbard, director of Patch of Heaven Sanctuary, a 20-acre nonprofit nature preserve in Redland. The site sits on a restored forest of tropical hardwoods unique to the area and features sunken water gardens carved into the limestone. It’s not just a hidden spot where locals can reconnect with nature, says Hubbard, it’s an enclave for preservation of the natural ecosystem that’s threatened by development. A deal to expand the preserve by buying out more land from a neighboring business fizzled out after the seller decided to hold out for a higher bidder.

If development sprouts unfettered, it will mean less acreage to grow the tropical fruits and flowers that thrive in the area’s fertile, red-tinged soil (hence the name). In short, less of what makes Redland a regional asset, says researcher Martin Motes. Inside a steamy greenhouse where he runs Motes Orchids, vanda spikes swing from perches, spilling into shapes and color combinations you’d be hard-pressed to find at the grocery store.

“There’s nowhere else in the continental U.S. that can grow the stuff we grow here all year round,” said Motes.

Among Redland’s most beloved landmarks is the family-owned Knaus Berry Farm, featuring local strawberries and tomatoes and legendary cinnamon rolls generally deemed worth the long drive from Miami’s downtown. Others venture south for the 18-hole golf course at Redland Golf and Country Club or Cauley Square Historic Village, a small strip of shops and eateries — including a tea room — under a canopy of trees.

Nowhere is the diversity of the local crops more apparent than at the county Fruit & Spice Park. More than 500 varieties of fruits, trees and herbs bloom on 37 acres. Shady jackfruit trees pregnant with massive pocked fruits grow next to wild, seeded baby bananas. You can even find bushes of miracle berry — the red fruit that makes even the most puckering of lemons taste sweet.

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The best part is you can eat whatever falls to the ground. Free tram tours take visitors across the five regions that divide the park showcasing edible plants from all over the world.

“We have a lot of immigrants in Miami so when they walk around and they see a tree that they’ve seen in their native country they get excited,” said Jhyna Arauco, interim park manager.

Before the pandemic, the largest group of visitors were tourists from out of town. But COVID turned things around. More locals now flock to the park as people yearn for fresh air after being cooped indoors for so many months, Arauco said.

“Many of them had never been here before,” she added. She herself had never visited Fruit & Spice before she started working there despite living nearby in Homestead. Miami New Times named the park the “Best Kept Secret” on its annual “Best of Miami” list in 2020.

At nearby Schnebly Redland’s Winery and Brewery, founded in 2005, the secret’s been out for a while. Business has more than doubled over the last few years, owner Peter Schnebly said. The recently completed extension of Krome Avenue has brought in more diners curious about the wines made from local guavas, lychees, coconut and even avocado.

The on-site brewery out back, with a full bar, pool tables and giant screen make the place a popular spot on game nights. But the tiki huts and waterfalls built out of native limestone have also put the winery on the map for weddings and other receptions. Redlands’ charm has drawn a growing number of brides and grooms over the years; the area has become a hot spot for weddings close to home for Miamians who prefer a rural backdrop to a beach one.

Celebration of life ceremonies when a local farmer dies are probably the most well-attended events at the winery, Schnebly said, a testament to how close-knit locals can be in Redland.

When the self-described “transplanted Yankee” landed here from New York’s wine country, he could quickly tell the area was special.

“We like to say we’re located in Miami’s countryside,” Schnebly said. “What we grow here such as mangoes and lychees and guavas, you can’t grow that even north of Palm Beach.”

He was among a group of local business owners who joined forces to create the Redland Tropical Trail 15 years ago. The signs point tourists to a collection of attractions and businesses in the area, such as Coral Castle and RF Orchids, a local orchid farm and store with its own scenic landscaping.

Future farmers

Alicia del Aguila and her partner Martina Gonzalez opened Aloha Redland three years ago to practice holistic farming on a half-acre of land. The pair grow bok choy and other vegetables alongside flowers using homemade compost and organic methods. During harvesting season, they sell farm-share boxes that can be delivered to pick-up locations north of Redland.

“Getting away from the traffic madness was a big push to come down here and being around nature was another push,” del Aguila said.

Although they are relative newcomers, they’ve witnessed the rise in development over the last two years. “People come down here because they like the tranquility of being surrounded by nature and sky. If you bring a bunch of complexes to a little one-way road it’s not going to be sustainable,” del Aguila said.

She’s seen firsthand a growing interest in farming among a younger generation. Last summer, she and Gonzalez helped the South Florida chapter of the National Young Farmers Coalition. The group advocates for the future of agriculture. Around 30 people gathered under a tiki hut at Aloha Farms for the group’s inaugural meeting.

Lighting that fire is what’s needed to help preserve Redland, says orchid grower Motes.

“This land doesn’t just belong to the people who live here,” he said. “It belongs to the nation as a whole and to the future generations.”

REDLAND AT A GLANCE

Population: 1,471

Demographics: Median age, 37

Median household salary: $66,972

Primary work/industry: Agriculture

Median property value: $321,500

School grades: B

Personal crime: 1.2

Property crime: 3.7

Source: Data USA, Florida Department of Education and Esri, which ranks crime using a national base line of 100.

This story was originally published May 23, 2021 at 6:00 AM.