MIAMI: Gateway to America

Few cities in the United States are as culturally and ethnically unique as Miami. The city is known by a number of nicknames, ranging from the ‘Capital of Latin America’ to ‘Magic City’—though perhaps the most accurate is ‘Perishables Gateway to the Americas,’ referencing its expanding role as a hub of international trade.

Its name is a variation of Mayaimi, from an Indian tribe that lived around Lake Okeechobee in the 1600s, but its founding is credited to Julia Tuttle, a citrus grower. Miami is not only the sole major metropolitan area in the United States established by a woman, but its birth and evolution are firmly tied to the fresh produce industry.

Miami-Dade County, with more than 2,400 square miles stretching from Biscayne Bay to downtown Miami to Everglades National Park, boasts a population of nearly 2.6 million. Sixty-four percent of residents are Latino, and more than half of the total population is foreign-born. Here, at this vibrant intersection of languages, cultures, commerce, and food, more companies are finding it profitable to do business. In a word, Miami is hot.

County Growth & Local Initiatives 
Miami-Dade isn’t alone in its growth. Surrounding counties including Broward (home to Fort Lauderdale), Monroe (which includes the Florida Keys), Palm Beach, and Collier are also booming, benefiting from South Florida’s post-recession economic reawakening. So is the agricultural industry around the state, though it is shifting. Among the beneficiaries are growers in the Miami-Dade area and in the Redlands region south of Miami near Homestead, which is one of the state’s major growing regions and the birthplace of the “Redland Raised” marketing initiative.

Launched in 2009 by area growers, Miami-Dade County, and the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, the Redland Raised program and logo were designed to promote the purchase and consumption of hyper-local produce, fitting under the umbrella of the larger statewide “Fresh from Florida” agricultural branding program.