What is DK Farms & Gardens? An attraction in Largo Florida specializing in agro-tourism entertainment and education to the local community of Tampa Bay. DK Farms is proud to be the source of access to livestock animals and offer a farm life style to the most densely populated and developed county in the state. DK Farms is a key location for parties, field trips and events, making it a perfect location for family and friend gatherings. From learning to laughing DK Farms & Gardens brings something for everyone.
Mission:
At DK Farms & Gardens, our mission is to provide great products and services for the best interest of our clients. Our goal is to create an atmosphere and service that makes you wanna return season after season. We strive to accommodate the young aged to the young at heart. From the mentally challenged to the physical disabled, we hope we create a fun and inviting experience for great memories and photos.
It is the mission to bring the city to the farm and see and learn about the animals and the agriculture lifestyle.
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History:
DK started his first "business" in elementary school; starting from selling candy, gum, pencils from his backpack. Little did he know, this just the beginning to the business we know and love today. In middle school, the business moved to bicycle repairs. Fixing busted tubes, brakes, and other miscellaneous repairs at the bike rack for many years. In 2009, the business changed its focus to a music themed bar and restaurant. After working in the industry, he soon realized it was not the lifestyle he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. When working for a former nursery, DK fell in love with the concept, but thought he can do much better. DK, now at the age of twenty in January of 2014, built a Pinellas County Certified back yard nursery which grew to 3,000 potted plants. Finally after building the knowledge and inventory, he opened his first nursery location, March 1st 2016. DK would be open in the nursery during the morning and close in the afternoon to landscape till dark everyday. Once the property went up for sale it was only a matter of time till we were forced to start over in November 2017. The business was reborn to become a stronger landscape machine and DK now became a landscape forman. While at the same time, the nursery was transformed at the new location and already out grew the spot. After a painful search for the future home, God finally showed His plan for us by presenting a beautiful agriculture space where we are to this day. Within 30 days we cleared an acre of land to present our product and the day after closing we were open for business July 28th, 2018. After establishing the new location it then became a full scale agri-tourism business now offering many other experiences then just selling plants changing the name to DK Farms & Nursery in 2021. At the start of 2023, many additions and changes began to take shape. As the nursery shrunk and the landscaping company ended, a new 'celebration destination' was beginning to rise. Starting a bar, wedding venue, monthly market and many new adds, DK Farm's & Garden's is becoming a staple to the local community and beyond.
- David Koning (DK)
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DK Farms & Gardens: Preserving One of Largo's Last Remaining Pieces of Agricultural History
Long before Largo became the thriving city we know today, its identity was rooted in agriculture. In the early 1900s, thousands of acres stretching from 8th Avenue South to Ulmerton Road were covered in flourishing orange groves. Citrus was one of the area's largest industries, and the railroad that still runs through Largo today carried locally grown fruit across Florida and beyond. Nearby, the orange processing plant at Seminole Boulevard and West Bay Drive served as a central hub for preparing the region's harvest for shipment.
Among the families who helped shape this agricultural landscape was the Osteen family, one of the original owners of the orange groves surrounding what is now DK Farms & Gardens. They selected this property as their homestead because of its proximity to the once-massive Lake Largo, a natural lake covering nearly 540 acres. The dirt road leading to their home became known as Lake Avenue because it provided access to the lake and the family property.
As Largo continued to grow throughout the twentieth century, the landscape began to change. To accommodate development, a canal was constructed behind the Osteen homestead to gradually lower the water level of Lake Largo. As the lake receded and the city expanded, many of the surrounding orange groves were sold and replaced with homes, roads, and businesses. The agricultural character that once defined Largo slowly disappeared.
The Osteen homestead remained one of the last reminders of that era. Following the passing of the family, the property was divided into three parcels in 2001. The historic home remained on the final parcel until it was sold in 2004. Although the house no longer stands, the property escaped redevelopment for many years, preserving the magnificent live oak trees—many now estimated to be more than a century old—that continue to define the landscape today.
In 2018, David Koning purchased the property with a vision that extended beyond opening another family attraction. His goal was to preserve one of the last remaining pieces of Largo's agricultural heritage while creating a place where future generations could experience nature, learn about local history, and enjoy the outdoors together.
Visitors today unknowingly follow the same path once traveled by the Osteen family. The two entrance gates mark the original U-shaped driveway leading to the homestead, and the farm's admission area sits on the site of what was once the family's living room. Throughout the property, the towering oak trees stand as living witnesses to more than a century of Largo's history.
Education has become an important part of that mission. During school field trips, hayrides, and seasonal events, guests learn about the history of Lake Largo, the citrus industry that helped build the local economy, and the families whose hard work transformed this land into productive groves long before modern development arrived.
Today, as warehouses, commercial buildings, and housing developments continue to replace open spaces across the region, DK Farms & Gardens represents something increasingly rare: a place where Largo's agricultural past is still visible, celebrated, and shared.
Every visit helps preserve this historic property and supports its continued restoration. Looking toward the future, David's dream is to reunite the original 10-acre Osteen homestead by reacquiring the adjoining parcels as they become available. Restoring the historic footprint would not only protect more green space but also preserve an irreplaceable piece of Largo's story for generations to come.
History is often remembered through photographs and books. At DK Farms & Gardens, it can still be walked beneath century-old oak trees, experienced along the original homestead driveway, and shared with every child who visits. By supporting this farm, the community is helping preserve one of the last tangible connections to Largo's agricultural roots—ensuring that a story more than 100 years in the making continues well into the future.
- David Koning (DK)