80 Acres Farms makes layoffs

Hamilton, OH-based vertical farm 80 Acres Farms has laid off about two dozen workers, which represents less than 10 percent of its workforce.

The layoffs were reported by the Cincinnati Business Courier, which said it’s unclear what the positions were and where they were based.

As of this summer, the company employed about 300 people.

In the summer of 2021, 80 Acres discussed its plan to use its $160 million investment in additional funding to continue expansion and product development.

At that time, CEO Mike Zelkind said the vertical farming space is getting more competitive, and that will start to pressure companies that aren’t bringing product to market profitably.

80 Acres Farms operates eight indoor farms using technology and analytics by the company’s tech-focused subsidiary, Infinite Acres. The company grows a variety of pesticide-free fresh foods, including salad blends, microgreens, herbs, tomatoes, and cucumbers, which are available from retailers including Kroger, Whole Foods, The Fresh Market, Jungle Jim’s Markets, and Dorothy Lane Market, as well as foodservice distributors, such as Sysco and US Foods.