Waldrep Dairy Farm

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Waldrep Dairy Farm, 1928, near present day Taft & University Drive
Waldrep Dairy Farm, 1928, near present day Taft & University Drive

The Waldrep Dairy Farm, established in 1928, was the last functional dairy farm in Broward County and Miami-Dade County within the state of Florida until its closure in 2003. With much of the South Florida region finding its roots as farm, it served as a landmark and reminder of the regions beloved past. At its peak, the farm's reach included many sections of what is now the City of Cooper City, eastern sections of the City of Pembroke Pines, western sections of the City of Hollywood and some areas of the Town of Davie. By the mid 1990s, it has been reduced to less than 1,000 acres (4.0 km²).

Owned by Wiley Waldrep until his death in 1997, the farm was passed on to his grandchildren. Appeals by them to try and maintain the family business ran into difficulty, with costs eventually preventing the farm from even breaking even. As a result, on August 5, 2003 the 530-acre (2.1 km²) farm was sold to TOUSA Homes. Court appeals filed by Broward County prevented immediate development of the site. The case was decided in November 2004 in favor of the developer. It is estimated that approximately 1,900 homes will be built on the land with construction beginning in 2006.

Originally part of unincorporated Broward County, the site was annexed by the City of Cooper City in 2004. The development of the land remains a sour point of discussion amongst many long time residents of the area. A new housing development called Monterra is under construction on the site where Waldrep Dairy Farm once was. [1]

[edit] See also

  • WikiMapia - A WikiMapia image displaying the region that was the Waldrep Dairy Farm at the time of closure.