Metro Development Group Unveils First Residential Farm Amenity in Tampa Bay Area

Angeline in Pasco County will be site of a 2.5-acre working farm, offering connection and education around healthy food for its residents and the larger community.

Angeline, a cutting-edge Pasco County community by master-plan developer Metro Development Group, will be the site of the first residential farm amenity in the Tampa Bay area.

Metro has engaged agricultural consulting and management company Agmenity to design, build and maintain the 2.5-acre farm, which will be located next to the Angeline Farmhouse welcome center and café. The farm will offer access to fresh produce and a unique community experience for residents and serve as a gathering place for the larger community.

The Angeline Farm will use sustainable farming practices to grow a variety of vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers, with crops changing seasonally. The Farm will also keep a flock of 15 to 20 laying hens that will have the potential to lay up to 40 dozen eggs a month.

Angeline is leading Tampa Bay’s entry into agricultural urbanism, a trend that emerged about 20 years ago as master-plan community developers put more focus on sustainable planning practices. The approach can include such community components as preserved natural areas, community farms, and sustainable gardens and landscaping.

“Angeline is being planned and built around a healthy lifestyle,” said Kartik Goyani, Vice President of Operations for Metro Development Group. “We are the first in the Tampa Bay area to bring this kind of amenity to a community, and it’s an important part of our goal to support our residents’ health and well-being.”

The Farm’s location next to the Angeline Farmhouse welcome center will make it an ideal gathering site where residents and visitors can do tours and purchase fresh seasonal produce.

There will also be opportunities for people to learn how quality food is produced through educational programs, events and volunteer opportunities. Metro Development Group plans to use the facility to connect the community – everyone from students at the nearby Angeline Academy of Innovation to Angeline residents.

Agmenity has been working with residential and commercial real estate companies to incorporate farms into communities for the past six years, helping to create sites such as Harvest Green Village Farm in Richmond, Texas and Jordan Ranch Sunset Farm in Fulshear, Texas.

“A driving mission of our company is to facilitate healthy relationships between people, place, and food,” said Justin Myers, Chief Operating Officer of Agmenity. “We design our farm amenity projects with agriculture as the heart of the space, which then allows for multiple engagement experiences to support our goals of creating true connections with residents and to build long-term value for communities.”

Alex Serrao from Agmenity, an experienced farmer who originally hails from the Northeast and has worked on similar residential farm projects in Texas, will lead and manage the Angeline Farm. She will be doing everything from planning irrigation routes and crops to guiding community programs.

“Community farms are special places for people to experience how healthy, delicious food grows,” Serrao said. “With educational programs and events like farmer markets and volunteering, we will give people the opportunity to come together to connect, learn and have fun.”

Metro aims to begin planting at Angeline Farm this summer and expects to have its first harvest available in the fall. Programming and benefits for residents will be introduced as the Farm grows.

Angeline, a master-plan community just off the Suncoast Parkway in central Pasco County, is adjacent to Moffitt Cancer Center’s Speros, a new state-of-the-art global innovation district. Angeline, which covers 6,200 acres, will be home to more than 30,000 residents with access to 3,600 acres of green space, an extensive trail network, office and retail, as well as onsite schools and the fastest internet service in the nation.

The residential community is starting to take shape, with active adult homes and townhomes for sale by Lennar. D.R. Horton will also offer townhome sales beginning this summer, and more single-family homes will be available in coming years.

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