Photo: Travel + Leisure Co.
Photo: Acreage Farms
Photo: Abigail Nilsson/Disney
UCF researcher, Kareem Ahmed (center) is leading a $450,000 project funded by the Naval Research Laboratory to develop a hypersonic engine as part of the nation's effort to significantly boost air travel speeds.
Photo: UCF
SHARE:
Central Florida Roundup
Monitoring Indoor Crops
SPOTLIGHT
Despite its promise, the vertical farming industry is facing a range of challenges. While indoor farms don’t have to contend with weeds, pests and unpredictable weather conditions, the industry lacks the technology needed to maximize smaller footprints because of outsized power demands. That’s making it difficult to turn a profit while scaling smaller operations upward.
Daytona Beach startup Acreage Farms hopes to change that. Working out of the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University MicaPlex business incubator in Volusia County, the company is developing a monitoring system to help vertical farmers control the quality of crops and catch potential problems early.
“It would also reduce operating expenses,” says cofounder Collin Topolski. “It would get rid of a lot of the labor required in having workers physically or manually monitor the crops themselves.”
The Acreage Farms monitoring system uses an array of sensors to keep tabs on soil quality, water nutrient levels and temperature. At the same time, specialized cameras watch crops for signs of nutrient stresses, identifying any plant deficiencies days before a human might notice them.
The firm is getting a boost from the Florida High Tech Corridor, following its recent win of a $150,000 U.S. Small Business Administration award. The Corridor is using the money to broaden its support network by reaching out to high-tech companies in rural areas. Acreage Farms has joined the Corridor’s Cenfluence clustering initiative, which provides access to resources and expert guidance when applying for federal grants.
HEALTH CARE
- Health First Health Plans is expanding insurance coverage to people in Lake, Orange, Osceola, Pasco and Polk counties. The Brevard County-based not-for-profit health plan includes access to the AdventHealth network.
TOURISM
- Severe weather can ruin anyone’s trip to a theme park. To relieve anxiety for customers, SeaWorld has instituted a policy called Weather-or-Not that covers a range of weather conditions. When severe storms or heat significantly impact park operations, customers will receive a free return visit within one year.
- Illinois-based Family Entertainment Group has added 20 Orlando-area arcades and entertainment centers to its portfolio through the acquisition of Fort Lauderdale’s PrimeTime Amusements. The company plans to add nearly 100 video and virtual reality games across the locations.
HIGHER EDUCATION
- The Orlando College of Osteopathic Medicine can start recruiting its first class of medical school students following the American Osteopathic Association’s decision to grant pre-accreditation status to the school, now under construction in Winter Garden.
- Stetson University in DeLand received $15.4 million for its music department and scholarships for students from Volusia County. The gift was from longtime supporters, Richard McMahan and Mary Blount McMahan, who passed away in 2011 and 2023, respectively.
ENVIRONMENT
- Reducing flooding and improving water quality in the city of Cape Canaveral is the focus of a $1-million award from the National Science Foundation. Project members include Stetson University’s Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council and Florida Sea Grant. The team is looking for ways to help the city deal with rising sea levels and an aging stormwater drainage system.
REAL ESTATE
- The iad Group, an international cloud-based network of real estate agents, has expanded into Florida. The French company, which operates across Europe and Mexico, gained its Orlando foothold though the acquisition of Changing Latitudes Real Estate. The business provides support services for agents working independently.
GOVERNMENT
- The Orlando City Council has approved the purchase of the 4,500-sq.-ft. Pulse nightclub for $2 million and plans to turn the property where 49 people were murdered and dozens injured in 2016 into a permanent, public memorial. The move comes after the non-profit onePULSE Foundation failed to reach an agreement with the club’s owners to donate the property for a national memorial and announced it would build one on another site.
