Key Takeaways:
- Acquisition Completed: 80 Acres Farms (Profile) has acquired the premium salad dressing business Mother Raw from Reunion Foods Inc., marking a significant expansion of their existing partnership.
- Shared Vision: Both companies have collaborated since 2022, focusing on a shared mission to offer fresh, healthy food options without sacrificing flavor.
- Operational Efficiency: The acquisition is expected to streamline operations and promote innovation within 80 Acres Farms, enhancing its ability to expand product lines and develop new offerings.
- Market Impact: Mother Raw’s inclusion in 80 Acres Farms’ salad kits has facilitated the product’s reach to over 1,000 retailers across the eastern U.S., showcasing the brand’s market influence.
- Future Growth: This strategic move is poised to enhance 80 Acres Farms’ innovation capabilities and market presence, leveraging vertical integration and precision agriculture.
Partnership Leads to Acquisition
80 Acres Farms’ acquisition of the Mother Raw premium salad dressing business from Toronto-based Reunion Foods Inc. signifies a major step in their collaborative efforts initiated in 2022. This partnership, rooted in a mutual commitment to providing fresh and healthy food options, laid the foundation for integrating Mother Raw dressings into the company’ salad kits—a decision that has since propelled the kits to success in over 1,000 eastern U.S. retailers.
Mike Zelkind, co-founder and CEO of 80 Acres Farms, expressed his enthusiasm for the acquisition, stating, “Working closely with Mother Raw, we fell in love with their people, their products, and their commitment to fresh, healthy ingredients. This acquisition is a natural progression of our partnership, aiming to streamline operations and spur innovation.”
Aiming for Streamlined Operations and Market Expansion
The acquisition is positioned as a strategic move to enhance operational efficiency and innovation within 80 Acres Farms. By integrating Mother Raw into its operations, the company plans to expand its salad kit product line and explore new dressing formulations, utilizing produce from its precision-controlled farms. This vertical integration strategy is expected to not only improve the company’s agility in product development but also bolster its national footprint in the healthy food sector.
Mutual Optimism for Future Growth
Kristi Knowles, CEO of Reunion Foods Inc., shared her positive outlook on the acquisition: “We are thrilled to know our beloved brand is in the capable hands of the 80 Acres Farms team, whose purpose aligns with ours. We’re confident that under their leadership, Mother Raw will continue to thrive in the U.S. market.”
80 Acres Farms Latest News
Collaboration With ReHeva (2023/10/26)
ReHeva Biosciences has completed a Phase I safety trial for its innovative cancer drug RH324 in cooperation with top institutions in Cleveland. With over $7 million in funding and strategic alliances, ReHeva is conducting clinical trials on various cancers. RH324 holds the promise of a new dawn in cancer treatment and is developed in compliance with FDA guidelines.
Read more here.
Unveils Its Latest Facility In Kentucky (2023/09/18)
Ohio-based vertical farming leader has opened its largest and most advanced farm in Kentucky with a $95m investment. It will produce up to 40 million servings annually and create 125 jobs. The farm runs on 80 Acres Farms’ proprietary Loop platform, encompassing crop management software, algorithms, environmental controls, robotics, and automation. The new facility will enable the company to reach 700 new Kroger stores and other markets. The company plans to open another 200,000-square-foot facility in Georgia in 2024, aligned with its goal of achieving worldwide food security.
Introduces Grab-and-Go Salad Kits in Four States (2023/09/08)
Ohio-based vertical farming company 80 Acres Farms has announced the launch of its new line of ready-to-eat salad kits. The company will be offering three different salad kits: Feelin’ Gouda, Greekin’ Out, and Rockin’ Ranchero. The salad kits are now available in more than 200 locations across Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The company is also planning to open a new 200,000-square-foot farm in Boone County, Kentucky, capable of producing 40 million servings annually.
Kroger & 80 Acres Farms Expand Partnership to Further Distribution (2023/08/16)
Kroger is partnering with 80 Acres Farms to expand the availability of fresh produce. 80 Acres Farms uses innovative indoor, pesticide-free cultivation techniques to grow salad blends, herbs, and tomatoes. Their latest farm in Kentucky is projected to produce around 40 million servings annually. Kroger plans to introduce 80 Acres Farms’ produce to new regions, including Michigan, Tennessee, and Georgia, in early 2023 and expand to the Mid-Atlantic and Delta areas later in the year.
Read more here.
Layoffs Linked To Industry & Other Collapses (2023/01/26)
80 Acres Farms recently laid off less than 10% of its workforce, about two dozen workers. The positions and locations are unclear. The company operates eight indoor farms and supplies various retailers and food service distributors.
Siemens Partners To Scale Vertical Farming (2023/01/09)
Siemens USA has teamed up with 80 Acres Farms to automate and improve its facilities and procedures. Siemens will install edge devices and industrial automation technologies to help automate the production line, and edge devices and human-machine interfaces will be used to monitor and maintain the control systems. The partnership also involves creating a digital twin to forecast plant development. With Siemens’ software and hardware solutions, 80 Acres Farms aims to streamline and standardize its operations to promote global food security.
Read more here.
Expands To Vertically Farmed Strawberries (2022/10/28)
80 Acres Farms is introducing a new product to its portfolio – Strawberry Sparklers, which is locally grown and pesticide-free. The berries will be available at Dorothy Lane Market locations this fall and at other retail partners soon. The company’s innovative growing system allows them to produce the freshest and most flavorful strawberries. With eight facilities in the US, 80 Acres Farms supplies more than 500 retailers and restaurants.
Expands To Covington, Georgia (2022/06/14)
The company, the leading indoor vertical farming company, is expanding to Newton County. The company will invest USD 120 million and create 150 new jobs within the County to meet growing consumer demand for local, fresh produce. The facility is currently under construction and is expected to be completed in August. The farm will be capable of growing leafy greens, microgreens, vine crops, and fruits year-round, and will generate four times as much food as the company’s current largest and most productive farm in Ohio. When fully operational, its produce will be distributed to retailers by early 2023.
Image provided by 80 Acres Farms
