A Restaurant Is Planned Inside a 20-Acre Avocado Estate

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📅 Homestead Area Events

🥑 A restaurant permit points to a new use for a private avocado estate

💼 Publix is hiring Homestead-based refrigeration techs at $30-$50 an hour

🎓 Naranja teens and young adults can get free college and career support

🎶 Friday dinner can come with live music at La Cruzada, but call first

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Friday, October 30

Homestead may be getting one of its most South Dade restaurant settings yet. A new permit filing tracks plans for Casa Campo Homestead at 35555 SW 202nd Avenue. That address is associated with a private 20-acre avocado estate used for gatherings, retreats, weddings, and overnight stays. This is an early-stage project, not an opening announcement. The project tracker shows the first filing on October 9 and a status check on October 23. No menu, opening date, or public dining hours have been announced. That makes this one worth watching without making weekend plans around it just yet. Nearby residents and local food watchers can bookmark the permit tracker for the next concrete update.

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A 40-acre former fruit grove between SW 272nd and SW 278th streets is approved for 185 single-family homes, including nine workforce-housing units. Another 96-home development is already under construction next door, putting more attention on traffic, drainage and the continued loss of agricultural land. No construction date has been announced, so nearby residents should watch for permits, site clearing and traffic notices.

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A free afterschool program in Naranja can give teens and young adults more help with the next step after class. Miami-Dade County’s Youth Success Program serves ages 15 to 22 at the Naranja Community Resource Center. The program includes homework help, academic support, college and career preparation, leadership development, field trips, civic engagement, and family activities. That mix makes it useful for students who need structure as well as young adults trying to map out work or college plans. The center is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., but the exact afterschool schedule and available space should be confirmed directly. Funding comes through The Children’s Trust. Families can ask about eligibility, enrollment, and current sessions by phone or email. Start with one call before visiting so you know what paperwork to bring.

📍 Location: 13955 SW 264th St., Naranja
☎️ Phone: 305-258-5471

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A skilled-trade job search in Homestead has two unusually clear pay ranges this week. Publix is recruiting a Refrigeration Technician 2 at $30 to $41 an hour and a Refrigeration Technician 3 at $36 to $50 an hour. Both roles are full-time, based in Homestead, and support facilities across Monroe County and the Florida Keys. The listings advertise weekly pay and varied schedules, so candidates should read the shift requirements closely. The senior role asks for trade-school training or equivalent experience, five years of supermarket refrigeration work or two years at the Technician 2 level, EPA Universal certification, a valid driver’s license, and residence in Miami-Dade or Monroe County. The Technician 2 posting is the more accessible of the pair, but it still calls for hands-on HVACR and refrigeration experience. These are direct employer listings, which means the application should go through Publix rather than a job-board middleman. Apply promptly because the pages do not promise a fixed closing date.

🌐 Apply for Technician 2
🌐 Apply for Technician 3

You can keep Friday dinner local and still get a little music with it at La Cruzada Restaurant. Current restaurant listings describe live music on Fridays and Saturdays, with karaoke appearing during dinner service. The Park Place dining room serves Cuban and Latin dishes, making it an easy option for a group that wants food before the night gets louder. The restaurant is listed as open until 10 p.m. on Fridays. A specific performer and music start time were not posted for October 30. That is the important catch: call before leaving home, especially if the music is the main reason you are going. Ask about tonight’s lineup, seating, and whether karaoke is running. If confirmed, it is a simple downtown Homestead night without the drive north.

🕒 Time: Restaurant listed 9 a.m.-10 p.m.; confirm music time
📍 Location: 331 Park Place, Homestead
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lacruzadarest/

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Avocado trees need a quieter routine as South Dade moves out of the wettest part of the year. UF/IFAS guidance says established trees should be watered during dry periods of five days or longer, with less frequent watering from November through February. That means the goal is steady moisture, not a permanently wet root zone. Good drainage still matters because avocado roots do poorly in standing water. This is also a useful week to inspect leaves for spider mites, avocado lace bugs, thrips, or powdery mildew rather than reaching for a treatment before identifying the problem. Hold off on major pruning now, especially on late varieties, because UF/IFAS places that work later in the season. Pick mature fruit when needed and let it soften indoors, since avocados generally ripen after harvest. A five-minute walk around the tree now can prevent overwatering and catch small issues early.

Read the UF/IFAS avocado guide