Angeline Community In Pasco To Include 1st Residential Working Farm

PASCO COUNTY, FL — 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.

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 take 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 residents and students at the nearby Angeline Academy of Innovation to Angeline community.

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 do 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 farmers 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.

Related:

• Metro Development Has 5 Of Tampa Bay's Most Popular Communities
• Pasco Town Center To Have 'Profound' Impact On County's Future
• Pasco County Lauded For Creating America's 1st Connected City
• Nation's 1st Crystal Lagoon Opens In Wesley Chapel

The future Angeline Lagoon and Town Center will be at the heart of Angeline. The Town Center has the potential for four million square feet of office, shopping, dining and entertainment. An additional 24 million square feet of future commercial space available.

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.

A Tampa-based company founded in 2003, Metro Development Group is one of the largest privately held residential developers in Florida. The company’s communities, under the MetroPlaces brand, are known for innovative technologies and high-impact amenities like their popular lagoons.