Homestead lies between Biscayne National Park and Everglades National Park, with the Redland's avocado groves and plant nurseries just to the northwest. Fields, fruit trees and wetlands send pests toward houses that the urban core rarely sees.
Homestead was incorporated in 1913, which makes it the second oldest city in Miami-Dade County after Miami. It began as a Florida East Coast Railway station in 1904, about 26 miles southwest of Miami, and sits roughly 3 feet above sea level. Hurricane Andrew struck as a Category 5 storm on August 24, 1992. The city has grown quickly since, from 31,909 residents in 2000 to 80,737 in the 2020 census.
Next door, the Redland raises mango, avocado, lychee and other tropical fruit on red clay over limestone and holds a large concentration of ornamental nurseries. The University of Florida runs its Miami-Dade Extension office from Homestead. That setting explains how we work: look first at fruit trees, fence lines and whatever grows next door, then treat the house as one piece of a larger landscape, with eco-friendly products around gardens.
