A Land Remembered, A Land Preserved

What could be better than a leisurely horseback ride with friends along a sun-dappled trail on an early fall morning?

It’s a beautiful day, just right, Dolf Kahle says, for taking a ride out to The Ranch. You hop into his SUV and head west on State Road 60 towards Yeehaw Junction as he talks non-stop about “a special slice of heaven.” Not long after you’ve left the stoplights and honking horns of Vero Beach, the highway curves and there on the south side is an expanse of land that is home to cattle, wildlife and, in the very near future, folks who will feel right at home among them.

This is The Ranch, alive with ancient oaks, scrub palms and palmettos and sprawling mist-filled hammocks. “Of the 3,700 acres, over 1,000 will remain open,” Dolf says, steering the SUV onto a narrow, winding road. “The Florida Turnpike is five minutes away, we’re 15 minutes from Vero Beach and we’re connected to the St. John’s Water District and the 25,000-acre Fort Drum Preserve. We feel like we have the best of both worlds.”

You have to believe he’s right as he goes on to explain that the land plan for the new community requires The Ranch to continue as a working cattle ranch while accommodating a variety of equestrian sports. There will be polo fields—one is already constructed—jumper arenas, dressage rings and open range riding, all linked to five distinct neighborhoods by a network of riding trails. When fully developed there will be less than 200 homes on this historic cattle ranch where the term “old Florida” represents more than a front porch on a cookie-cutter home.

Read the entire article in the September 2007 issue