People huddled under umbrellas for shade as they stood in a line wrapped around the entire perimeter of a Homestead roadside farm store this week.
It was the opening day of the season for South Florida staple Knaus Berry Farm, which has dependably supplied Miami-Dade residents with their sugar fix for decades. Dozens of folks throughout the day endured the 3-hour waits to get their hands on Knaus Berry’s signature sticky cinnamon rolls and strawberry milkshakes.
"It's something that you just learn from generation to generation," said long-time Knaus Berry Farm customer Milagros Rodriguez. "You don't learn that just from one day to the next."
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Rodriguez has been visiting the farm since she was 17 years old and typically frequents the roadside store a couple times a season. She waited at least two hours for her cinnamon rolls on Tuesday.
"I'm just hungry," Rodriguez said. "This is what I'm going to have for lunch."
Operating since 1956, Knaus Berry Farm opens every November following Redland farming season.
But this opening day was unlike others. It comes just a few months after the tragic death of farm co-owner Rachel Grafe.
Grafe inherited the family farm alongside her sister from their father, Ray Knaus. Grafe passed away due to injuries she sustained when she and her husband were allegedly attacked and beaten by their son, Travis.
Travis is in custody awaiting trial on several charges, including second-degree murder. A hearing on the case is set for Dec. 4.
A legacy and tradition
Despite the tragedy, die-hard fans of Knaus Berry Farm's baked goods and fresh produce lined up like any other season on Tuesday.
"That’s like her legacy," said Doral resident Cesar Tijerino. "[The farm] not being open on the day they’ve always been open for the last like 10 years would just be the opposite of what she would have wanted."
Tijerino and his sister Virginia have been coming to Knaus Berry Farm since they were children. Today, they say, was one of their longest waits in line for the farm’s goods.
The wait was no deterrent for Joshua Guzman whose first trip to the farm was Tuesday.
"I figured the first day wouldn't be so jam-packed," Guzman said. "But I was wrong."
He traveled from his home in Brickell. "I've tasted the cinnamon rolls before, but I'm looking forward to buy my own," he said.
Knaus Berry Farm is expected to be open this season through mid-April.
