As Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear got a preview of 80 Acres Farms' official debut in Florence, Local 12 wanted to know just how financially sustainable this new farm is.
The $74 million facility is an all-interior farm, and it's among the largest of its kind in the world. It, along with the company's nine other facilities in Hamilton, Cincinnati, Arkansas, Georgia, and beyond, produce leafy greens, herbs, microgreens, and tomatoes.
The salads are sold single-serve and family-sized, meaning no bulk products on the shelves. This doesn't mean that the company is without its growing pains, as they announced a 10% layoff earlier this year.
"How sustainable is this economically?' Local 12 asked Mike Zelkind, 80 Acres Farms' Co-Founder and CEO. "Look, this is a new industry, nobody knows how to do it," Zelkind said. "There's no playbook to read to go do it. We're figuring it out every day, we're adapting, we're adjusting, we're trying to build a phenomenal company for future generations."
Governor Beshear acknowledged that the company may be a bit ahead of its time. "I believe that the timing may not be perfect," said Governor Andy Beshear, (D) Kentucky. "But it's necessary and right, and we cannot wait until it's too late."
Read the entire article at Local 12