Former site of the Waldrep Dairy Farm (Cooper City, Florida)

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This was the (Old) Waldrep Dairy Farm, established in 1928 by Wiley Waldrep, which upon its closure in 2005 was the last operating dairy farm in Broward or Miami-Dade counties. For many years, Wiley refused to sell the land. After his death in 1997, the land was turned over to his children, who kept the farm going until 2003. The family sold the land for $103 million.

In 2006, the land, originally in unincorporated Broward County, was annexed to neighboring Cooper City. It is now a sprawling $1 billion, 1,900-home housing development called "Monterra", but it has been subject to squabbles over housing density, schools, impact fees, and traffic ever since. Construction has presently halted due to the recent slump (2008) in the housing market.

www.browardpalmbeach.com/2008-02-07/news/ol-man-wiley-h...
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldrep_Dairy_Farm
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   26°2'16"N   80°15'25"W

Comments

  • "The family sold the land for $103,000." There are a few zero's left off: "His grandkids weren't as stubborn as he was. They tried to keep the farm going, but in 2003, they finally succumbed to fate when they optioned the land to a Greek developer called Tousa Inc. for $104 million."
  • ...and thanks to the real estate crash, his grandchildren are laughing all the way to (and from) the bank. Hopefully, Wiley would at least be proud of that.
  • This property belonged to my great aunt Jewel and great uncle Wiley...We would take my grandmother Orlean Haney (Jewel's sister) down almost every year to visit her sisters and brothers...what fun we would have.
  • My father, Ray Owens, worked for Mr. Waldrep from the late 50's until we moved to Ocala in 1966. Mr. Waldrep was a great man and always had time to stop and talk and laugh. I remember his two outside employees Arthur Baine, and Milo, Papy in the milk room, and others. As a child, I was a popular kid in that my schoolmates knew I lived on a spacious 1000 acre farm in a sea of development. I never wanted for visitors!
  • My grandfather and all my uncles worked for the dairy. We lived in one of the dairy houses on Taft street. I worked summers there. Many good memories growing up there.
  • Wow, it is really cool to hear of this history. Can I ask, where were these diary houses on Taft Street located?
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This article was last modified 12 years ago