Florida
Can coffee grow in Florida? UF researchers study plants in Treasure Coast field to find out
Oranges, sugarcane and strawberries are crops synonymous with Florida agriculture. Could coffee be next?
While Florida isn’t likely to export coffee anytime soon, it could export groundbreaking research to the rest of the world — some of it being conducted on the Treasure Coast — to improve the global coffee industry.
Researchers at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences are working with farmers and even artificial intelligence on multiple studies about growing coffee. From studying the flavors of different varieties to developing disease-resistant plants, they hope to discover advancements in coffee production techniques.
“We are working with a crop that is facing a lack of innovation,” said UF/IFAS research assistant Luis Felipe Ventorim Ferrão. “If we don’t innovate, we stay flat in coffee.”
Can you grow coffee in Florida?
The first question researchers want to answer: Can coffee survive in Florida?
Florida lacks almost all the ideal conditions for large-scale coffee production that countries such as Brazil, Colombia and Costa Rica have in abundance. Coffee plants need specific soil chemistry, precipitation and tropical weather conditions with little risk of cold snaps. The ideal temperature range for coffee plants is 64-70 degrees, and even short periods in colder conditions can be potentially lethal to the plants, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
“The main challenge is the temperature and the weather,” Ferrão said, specifically “the freeze events we have here.”
Researchers spent a year growing 150 coffee plants of different varieties under controlled conditions in a Gainesville greenhouse, then this summer planted them in research fields in Fort Pierce, Gainesville and Homestead.
“Determining what will grow is the first step to identifying the plants most adaptable to Florida’s conditions,” Ferrão said. “Our follow-up questions will be to understand the behavior of the plant in these new conditions; then the flavor of what we can grow here in Florida; and finally, maybe most importantly, whether it can be profitable as a crop.”
The future of coffee
Ferrão and his colleagues have already accumulated large amounts of data about the genealogy of coffee, growing conditions and other aspects of coffee farming, but more research is needed. Still, he thinks Florida has the potential for specialized small-scale growers investing in agrotourism and small-batch roasts, like in California.
Large coffee plantations controlled by one entity are a thing of the past, with small farms now producing about 80% of the world’s coffee, Ferrão said. About 67% of that 80% is produced by the 94.5% of coffee farms that are smaller than 12 acres, he said. They can build economies of scale with partnerships and cooperatives.
Discovering better production strategies for them is more important than ever, with climate change worsening and creating unstable seasons and growing conditions, Ferrão said.
“We are talking about a crop that is consumed by over 2 billion people a day,” he said, with the U.S. being the No. 1 consumer.
Florida
Pilot program aims to build $200K homes in Central Florida to help low-income families buy, not rent
ORLANDO, Fla. – For many Central Florida families, the dream of owning a home feels further out of reach than ever.
With the median home price now topping $400,000, a new pilot program in Orlando is trying to change that by building new homes for about half the cost.
A lot off Quill Avenue in Parramore may not look like much right now, but organizers say it could soon be the site of a new home priced around $200,000 for low-income families.
“We just really wanted an opportunity to bring actual affordable housing to people who have basically been forever renters,” said Satrina Whithead with the GXVE Homes Initiative.
The GXVE Homes Initiative says the goal is to help families earning between $16,000 and $65,000 a year get a chance at homeownership. Whithead said the homes could range from 500 to 1,400 square feet, depending on the lot size and location.
The Orlando Regional Realtor Association reports the median home price in the area is now more than $400,000. Whithead said GXVE hopes to sell homes for about half that.
“There’s nothing wrong with profit, but at the end of the day, I want to help where the need is greatest,” Whithead said.
Organizers say they are already planning to build in Parramore and are working to close on two additional properties. They also say they have properties planned in Sanford and Mims, with a goal of bringing eight homes a year to Central Florida.
“You can pay 80 percent of your salary on rent just to have a place to live. So getting that number back down to around 50 percent is extremely important,” said Mike Harris, vice president of GXVE Homes.
Florida Made Tiny Homes, which is partnering with the organization, said it plans to build concrete homes that exceed safety requirements for the area.
“I don’t think there’s going to be anything available on the market in that price range, much less new construction,” said Dylan Grace, co-founder of Florida Made Tiny Homes.
Program organizers say they expect to start construction in the fall and hope to complete the first home within six to eight months after work begins. For more information please click here.
Copyright 2026 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — A former Florida juvenile probation officer is facing more than 100 felony charges after investigators said she leaked confidential court and law enforcement information to people tied to a drug trafficking investigation.
Crystal Gaynell Ann Lawson was booked into the Orange County Jail on Thursday, according to Orange County Corrections records.
Investigators said Lawson improperly accessed the Comprehensive Case Information System, or CCIS, more than 100 times and shared information from active criminal cases with members of a drug trafficking organization.
FOX 35 Orlando reported Lawson was arrested on 113 felony counts of computer crimes for unauthorized access. Investigators said she allegedly accessed the database 106 times between January and May.
Lawson is accused of using the database to search for active criminal cases tied to members of the organization. Authorities said some of the information that was leaked included arrest warrants and documents connected to an active investigation.
Lawson was hired by the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice in February 2022. As part of that job, she was given access to the CCIS database. Authorities said she was fired later that year after an arrest, but her database access was not terminated.
See also: ‘Elf,’ ‘Couples Retreat’ actor jailed with no bond after Florida arrest
Investigators said the leaks resulted in lost evidence, unrecovered assets and at least one person fleeing to avoid arrest before later being taken into custody.
Lawson previously worked for the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, where she had access to the court information system as part of her job. Authorities said she was later fired, but her database access was not terminated.
Orange County Corrections records list Lawson’s case status as “presentenced” and show multiple entries for “offense against computer users.”
The records list the arresting agency as the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and show bond amounts of $10,000 on several listed case sequences. The jail record also notes an “ICJIS Affidavit.”
ORLANDO, Fla. – Strong thunderstorms continue to push across Central Florida Thursday evening, with a few storms capable of producing gusty winds, frequent lightning, torrential rainfall and isolated damage before activity gradually winds down later tonight.
The strongest storms are expected through about 10 p.m., with most of the activity weakening and moving offshore by around 11 p.m. Storms are being fueled by sea breeze collisions and abundant moisture across the state. In addition to strong wind gusts, torrential downpours could lead to ponding of water on roads and minor flooding in low-lying and poor-drainage areas.
While storms remain the immediate concern this evening, another round of impactful weather is expected Friday.
The News 6 Weather Team has designated Friday as a Weather Aware Day due to the combination of dangerous heat and the threat for strong to severe thunderstorms.
Before storms develop, temperatures will climb into the low to mid-90s Friday afternoon. Combined with high humidity, it will feel more like 102 to 107 degrees across much of Central Florida. Some locations could once again approach or exceed Heat Advisory criteria.
Scattered thunderstorms are expected to develop during the afternoon and evening hours. The atmosphere will be loaded with tropical moisture, allowing storms to produce frequent lightning, damaging wind gusts, and torrential rainfall.
The Storm Prediction Center has placed all of Central Florida under a Level 1 out of 5 risk for severe weather Friday. While widespread severe weather is not expected, a few storms could become strong enough to produce damaging winds.
In addition, the Weather Prediction Center has highlighted portions of Central Florida for a Level 1 out of 4 risk of excessive rainfall. Any storm will be capable of producing very heavy rain in a short amount of time, which could lead to localized flooding.
The unsettled pattern continues into the weekend. Storm coverage is expected to increase Saturday, and some locations could see multiple rounds of heavy rain. While a few stronger storms remain possible, the flooding threat may become a greater concern by Saturday afternoon and evening.
Looking ahead to next week, rain chances are expected to gradually decrease, but the heat is not going anywhere. High temperatures will remain in the low to mid-90s, with heat index values frequently climbing above 100 degrees. Forecast guidance suggests a higher heat risk could develop once again across Central Florida as we head deeper into next week.
At the beaches, a moderate risk of rip currents continues. Make sure you swim near a lifeguard if you’re heading to the beach.
Copyright 2026 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.
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