Could coffee be Florida's next big agricultural crop?

MOORE HAVEN, Fla. — For many people, the day starts with a cup of coffee. Now, researchers and farmers in Florida are working to make the caffeinated crop one of the state's next agricultural products.

Glades County farmer works with University of Florida researchers to make coffee a viable crop in the state

Matthew Davis, the owner and farmer of Old Okeechobee Coffee Co., spent 20 years working in the citrus industry before making the switch.

"We were having some difficulty with some problematic diseases that are really impacting the industry," Davis said.

Diseases like greening disease are part of the reason researchers at the University of Florida have been studying coffee as an alternative crop. Felipe Ferrao, a research scientist at the University of Florida, said struggling growers are looking for new options.

Coffee plant — Matthew Davis, the owner and farmer of Old Okeechobee Coffee Co., said he's been harvesting the beans for the last two and a half months. So far, they have produced hundreds of bags to sell.

"We have growers that are looking for alternative crops, or they want to try something new," Ferrao said.

That search for alternatives led Davis to UF to find the best ways to grow coffee in Florida.

"We're growing a plant that typically isn't grown in Florida because of the soil environment," Davis said.

Ferrao said the research is focused on adapting the crop to Florida's environment.

Production building — From the farm to your coffee pot, Old Okeechobee Coffee Co. does all of the work at its property. They offer weekend tours of the farm that include tasting the Florida coffee.

"Can we identify or design plants that are more adapted to this landscape?" Ferrao said.

While coffee is still a new crop in the state, Davis believes it could offer a lifeline to farmers facing difficult decisions.

"This could be an avenue for you to prevent you having to sell a family business and maybe transition over to coffee," Davis said.

From growing the plants to serving the drinks, the partnership between Davis and the University of Florida is working to bring something new to Florida agriculture.

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