Kroger to expand indoor-grown produce offerings to 1,000 stores

Kroger shoppers across the Midwest and Southeast soon will have more choices when it comes to vertically grown salad blends, herbs and tomatoes, as the Cincinnati-based grocer and 80 Acres Farms work together to bring fresh, clean produce to more households, according to a release.

80 Acres Farms, a Hamilton, Ohio-based global vertical farming company, has been a supplier to The Kroger Co. since 2019, starting with a single store in downtown Cincinnati and growing to more than 300 stores across Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky in 2021. Together, they now plan to serve about 1,000 Kroger stores across the Midwest and Southeast, the release said.

"At Kroger, we believe everyone deserves access to fresh, delicious food," Dan De La Rosa, Kroger's group vice president of fresh merchandising, said in the release. "80 Acres' unique approach and technology enables us to offer fresh, nutritious produce to our customers while advancing sustainable growing practices. Together, we'll expand the reach of these long-lasting and great-tasting 80 Acres Farms items year-round."

80 Acres Farms grows pesticide-free produce — including salad blends, herbs and tomatoes — entirely indoors using fewer natural resources, the release said.

Currently, the company operates production farms in Ohio and Kentucky, as well as research facilities in Arkansas and the Netherlands. The company's newest farm in Florence, Ky., began operations in December 2022 and is expected to supply approximately 40 million servings of produce annually.

80 Acres Farms is preparing to open another next-generation farm in Georgia, with more locations on the way, the release said.

Kroger says it will bring 80 Acres Farms' fresh produce to new geographies, including Michigan, Tennessee and Georgia in early 2023 and continuing into the mid-Atlantic and Delta regions in the fall.

Soon, 80 Acres Farms will supply Kroger customers with products beyond the company's existing salad blends, including grab-and-go fresh meals, the release said.

"Retailers have long been attracted to indoor farming because of its potential to supply fresh, healthy and great-tasting produce in a more environmentally sustainable and resilient manner," 80 Acres Farms co-founder and CEO Mike Zelkind said in the release. "Kroger recognizes the importance of vertical farming in our nation's future food supply chain, and the value we deliver by offering differentiated products that customers love."