Hamilton, Ohio-based controlled environment agriculture grower 80 Acres Farms says it has acquired three indoor vertical farms in Georgia, Texas and Colorado and related intellectual property owned by Kalera Inc.
The company said the farms will extend its network of large-scale commercial facilities beyond Ohio and Kentucky. 80 Acres Farms recently expanded its Kentucky farm, which opened in 2023, to double its capacity.
“National retailers and foodservice distributors are seeking partners that can consistently supply high-quality product through a national network of local farms,” Mike Zelkind, CEO and co-founder of 80 Acres Farms, said in a news release. “At the same time, there has been significant capital invested in the controlled-environment agriculture sector over the last 10 years, creating an infrastructure of underutilized assets across the country. We are building a national network in a capital-efficient manner by combining our technology and operating strengths to revitalize these facilities.”
80 Acres Farms grows greens (including spinach), microgreens, tomatoes and herbs.
The company said it will retrofit the acquired vertical farms with its Infinite Acres platform technology. 80 Acres Farms developed its Infinite Acres platform collaboration with partners such as Siemens, Signify, Sick, and TTA-ISO, the release said.
“Vertical farming has proven an ability to deliver fresh, high-quality produce in markets that cannot support year-round field-grown operations,” said Tisha Livingston, co-founder of 80 Acres Farms and CEO of Infinite Acres. “As with our acquisitions of Mother Raw salad dressing and Plantae Biosciences, this acquisition reinforces 80 Acres Farms as a consolidator in the industry. We are excited to acquire strategic operations in the space and codify their best practices and key learnings into our proven technology platform, improving our already profitable farm unit economics.”
Before the addition of the new facilities in Georgia, Texas and Colorado, 80 Acres Farms served more than 1,500 retail locations in the Midwest. The company said the Kalera acquisitions will strengthen its relationships with retailers and food distributors and its go-to-market capacity.
80 Acres Farms also owns and operates an R&D facility in Arkansas, an advanced systems and design field lab in the Netherlands and advanced plant genetics facilities in Israel.
“I could not be more pleased to have found the perfect fit for Kalera in 80 Acres Farms,” Kalera CEO Jim Leighton, Kalera CEO said in a release. “I am extremely impressed with Mike, Tisha, and their entire leadership team. They not only have the technical knowledge to successfully operate vertical farms, but they also have extensive food and produce experience. That, in my opinion, is necessary to be successful in operating a vertical farming company or any food business.”
