US: OHIO: Global Indoor Farming Venture Deal Features Company With Hamilton Ties
Published: Wednesday, September 25, 2019
By: Eric Schwartzberg - Staff Writer
80 Acres Farms is taking steps to broaden the reach of the state-of-the-art vertical farming operation it already employs in Cincinnati and Hamilton.
— Ocado Group, the world’s largest dedicated online grocer, completed a deal to partner and invest in Infinite Acres, a full-service global solutions provider to the indoor horticulture and agriculture industries.
Headquartered in Delft, Netherlands, Infinite Acres is a partnership of three companies:
• Hamilton-based 80 Acres farms, a leader in technology-assisted indoor growing and a multi-farm operator marketing a wide variety of freshly harvested vegetables and fruits;
• UK-based Ocado; and
• Netherlands-based Priva Holding BV, a leading provider of technology solutions, services and automation systems to horticultural and other industries.
FIRST REPORT: Hamilton’s large indoor growing operation is so advanced they want it around the world
As Infinite Acres, the three companies work together to scale indoor food production through vertical farming done in environmentally controlled, pesticide-free facilities.
The joint venture was announced in June, and since has been engaged in several international projects.
Infinite Acres’ mission is to use technology and expertise to grow quality produce near urban population centers worldwide. The partner companies push to expand vertical indoor farming when consumers are seeking locally grown produce.
MORE: ‘The perfect home’: Why 80 Acres chose Hamilton to move its headquarters and create 125 jobs
“Infinite Acres is the only full-service solution available today addressing the difficult challenges of season-limiting produce production and the long-distance travel from field to the consumer,” said Tisha Livingston, chief executive officer of Infinite Acres. “In our experience, consumers prefer their produce to be grown nearby and freshly harvested when they purchase it.
“That’s something we can now provide year-round. We welcome Ocado’s innovative technology and customer-centric software systems, robotics, automation, and market intelligence as we revolutionize food production together with Priva and 80 Acres Farms.”
Stewart McGuire, Ocado Group head of corporate development, said the company is “delighted” to be part of the Infinite Acres joint venture, which will bring together “unprecedented and complementary expertise” in vertical farming.
“The future is about great tasting food, sustainably produced. Infinite Acres, supported by Ocado’s technology, will be an important catalyst in making this happen,” McGuire said.
MORE: Dilapidated Hamilton building transforms into an industry-changing grow facility