‘Food Heroes’ exhibit serves up health, sustainability, tech angles
Orlando Science Center’s newest exhibit features food and food for thought.
“Food Heroes,” which includes demonstrations about work done in the food system, now stands alongside the 4 Roots Café on the ground level of the Loch Haven Park museum.
Along the edge of the dining area are displays that show off a robotic arm used in farming automation; time-lapse videos of fruits and vegetables that show off composting; and a living wall of greenery that spotlights vertical farming. Nearby, another wall presents interactive butterfly projections as a means of discussing pollinators.
“This exhibit explores the complexities of our food system, and how we can make it more sustainable and healthier for everyone,” said JoAnn Newman, president and CEO of Orlando Science Center. “You will leave here with a better understanding of where your food comes from and what role nutrition plays in keeping you healthy.”
The exhibit also includes a big-screen LED display, facing the dining tables, where stories about 15 local food heroes are seen. That area eventually will have speakers and demonstrations on weekends. There is uninterrupted access between tables and displays.
The space previously was home to a Subway restaurant.
The exhibit-restaurant hybrid has been in the works for about eight months. John Rivers, president and founder of 4 Roots and 4R Restaurant Group, said he signed onto the project as a means of inspiration and education.
Many students “don’t even understand where it really comes from, where their tomato is actually grown on a vine,” he said at a ribbon-cutting for the exhibit Wednesday.
“If we can inspire these young minds and educate them about the need, not only to eat right, but to buy right and to grow at home and get them excited about that, we will change this community ... It will have a huge impact on the food system,” Rivers said.
The 4 Roots Cafe menu includes sandwiches, flatbreads and salads. There are grab-and-go options. Access to the cafe is not available without admission to the science center, but delivery options include
DoorDash and Uber Eats.
The presenting sponsor of “Food Heroes” is Orlando Health, and that’s part of its 10-year partnership with the science center.
The new experience will remind visitors “that food is healthy … and that health is what makes communities stronger and more sustainable,” said Antwan Williams, administrator, Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children.