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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.
Port St. Lucie ranked No. 147 among 182 cities in the United States for places to raise a family in 2026, according to a WalletHub study.
Port St. Lucie ranked among the best places in the United States to raise a family in 2026, according to a WalletHub study.
The free personal finance website compared 182 cities in the United States to find the best and worst places to raise a family in 2026.
The website scored cities based on these criteria:
- Family fun
- Health and safety
- Education and child care
- Affordability
- Socio-economics
Port St. Lucie ranks for best places to raise a family
The rankings range from 1 to 182, with 1 being the best.
- Family fun rank: 179
- Health and safety rank: 40
- Education and child care rank: 160
- Affordability rank: 135
- Socioeconomics rank: 70
- Playgrounds per capita: 101
- Violent-crime per capita: 4
- Overall rank: 147
Top-ranked Florida cities to raise a family
- 49. Orlando
- 59. Tampa
- 60. Pembroke Pines
- 63. St. Petersburg
- 117. Jacksonville
- 123. Tallahassee
- 133. Cape Coral
- 147. Port St. Lucie
- 163. Miami
- 166. Fort Lauderdale
- 173. Hialeah
Best places to raise a family in 2026
- 1. Fremont, California
- 2. Overland Park, Kansas
- 3. Irvine, California
- 4. Plano, Texas
- 5. Columbia, Maryland
- 6. Bismarck, North Dakota
- 7. South Burlington, Vermont
- 8. Charleston, South Carolina
- 9. Seattle, Washington
- 10. Boise, Idaho
Olivia Franklin is TCPalm’s trending reporter. You can contact her at olivia.franklin@tcpalm.com, 317-627-8048 or follow her on X @Livvvvv_5.
Florida
As Florida debates property tax relief, a local official analyzed the potential impact on South Florida
Florida homeowners who have been lobbying for property tax relief may be closer to receiving it with a newly filed bill in Tallahassee.
Joseph Zamb, who works in real estate, said the ultimate goal should be to eliminate property taxes entirely for homesteaded properties. He believes this step would benefit both investors and homeowners.
“I think that the next step for South Florida, all of Florida, is to completely eliminate property taxes,” Zamb said. “You need to get the American dream back, buy a house, and not have to constantly be paying, paying, paying”.
The official bill calls for a $150,000 homestead exemption in 2027, followed by a $250,000 exemption in 2028. The legislature would then be tasked with creating a long-term plan for the following years.
Broward Property Appraiser Marty Kiar analyzed the potential impact based on 2025 property values. Kiar found that with the $150,000 exemption, the 425,000 homesteaded property owners in Broward would save about $2,100. However, this exemption would mean the county loses $195 million, and schools are down by $294 million. Kiar noted that the current version of the bill does not include a carve-out for schools.
“Whatever city you live in will depend on the loss of revenue to your city, based on how many homesteaded properties there are, how many commercial properties there are,” Kiar said.
The legislature is scheduled to hash out the details next week during a special session. If the bill passes, it would be presented to voters as a constitutional amendment for approval or rejection.
“At the end of the day, it’s going to be the most consequential vote that anybody is going to make if anything’s on the ballot in November, because it could potentially change the way things are done,” Kiar said.
Florida
Traffic stop goes viral after Florida deputy accuses driver missing right hand of holding phone
PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Video of a traffic stop in Palm Beach County is going viral over an awkward exchange between the driver and a deputy who accused her of holding a phone while driving.
Leer en español
“You drove past me holding a phone with your right hand, manipulating that phone,” the deputy tells 36-year-old Kathleen “Katie” Thomas.
“Obviously not,” Thomas says while laughing and holding up her right arm, showing that she’s missing her right hand.
“So you wanna call this a day?” she asks.
“I don’t want to call this a day. You had a hand up, manipulating,” the deputy responds.
“You just said my right hand,” Thomas counters.
“Well, I thought I saw your right hand,” the deputy says.
“So you didn’t,” Thomas responds.
Thomas posted the bodycam footage on Instagram and TikTok where it gained millions of likes.
In the video, although she shows the deputy she doesn’t have a right hand, the deputy doubled down.
“I’m asking you now; did you or not have your phone in your hand?” the deputy asks.
“I did not,” Thomas responds.
“You did not have your phone in your hand?” the deputy asks again.
“I did not,” Thomas responds.
“Hand to God, you didn’t have a phone in your hand?” the deputy asks.
“Hand to God,” Thomas says.
Court records show Thomas was given a $116 citation despite the presented evidence, but it was later dismissed at the request of the deputy involved.
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