FLORENCE, Ky. — An automated indoor farming operation in Northern Kentucky will shut down this month, the company told state officials, putting more than a hundred workers out of their jobs and marking a sharp setback for a high-tech local employer.
Company cites sudden loss of funding
80 Acres Farms, an Ohio-based vertical farming company with a facility at 7455 Empire Drive in Florence, filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act notice with the Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet saying it will lay off 127 employees by Aug. 17. The filing says the company is "permanently winding down its business due to unforeseen business circumstances."
The WARN filing, authored by co-founder and CEO Mike Zelkind, said negotiations were underway with a prospective acquirer whose financing was expected to provide the funds necessary to continue operations. According to the notice, the potential buyer "unexpectedly withdrew from the transaction" on the evening of Aug. 2, leaving the company without the anticipated proceeds and forcing an immediate decision to wind down.
"For a decade, our team has proven that vertical farming can work at scale – building and operating indoor farms that ultimately supplied more than 18,000 retail locations across the U.S.," Zelkind said in a statement shared with a regional news outlet.
Local impact and workforce details
The Florence site is among several facilities the company operated regionally; 80 Acres Farms employed more than 300 workers overall, most in the Greater Cincinnati area. The Florence cuts will affect production and support staff tied to the facility and could ripple through local suppliers and service providers that worked with the operation.
Workers and community leaders now face the prospect of rapid job losses. Under Kentucky WARN rules, employers must provide notice to state officials and affected workers when a mass layoff is planned. The notice from 80 Acres Farms indicates the company is providing as much notice as practicable given the sudden change in funding.
- Number of layoffs: 127 at Florence facility
- Expected last day: By Aug. 17 (per WARN notice)
- Reason given: Prospective acquirer withdrew funding, company winding down operations
Background on the company and the sector
Founded in 2015, 80 Acres Farms developed automated indoor vertical farms that use LED lighting and, in some operations, renewable energy. Its products — including prepared salad kits — were sold in thousands of stores nationally, including major chains such as Kroger, Walmart and Meijer, according to prior reporting.
Vertical farming has been promoted as a way to produce leafy greens and other crops year-round and closer to urban markets, reducing transport time and environmental impacts. But the model faces high upfront capital costs, energy demands and thin margins for some products, factors that have pressured several companies in the sector.
What affected workers should know
Employees impacted by the layoffs should seek information from their employer about final pay, accrued benefits and any severance or assistance the company may offer. State resources include the Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet, which handles WARN filings and workforce assistance, and the local career center network that offers job search help, training and unemployment insurance guidance.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Facility address | 7455 Empire Drive, Florence |
| Employees affected | 127 (Florence facility) |
| Company headquarters | Ohio (80 Acres Farms) |
| Expected timeline | By Aug. 17 (per WARN filing) |
Broader implications
The closure underscores the fragility of capital-dependent agritech ventures even as they scale. For Northern Kentucky, the loss of more than 100 jobs at a single site will be a notable hit to the local labor market, particularly for workers with specialized experience in controlled-environment agriculture.
Officials at regional economic development organizations and workforce agencies typically monitor WARN filings to coordinate rapid response, including job fairs, retraining programs and employer outreach. Those services are designed to mitigate the economic impact and help displaced workers transition to new opportunities.
I will continue to monitor the situation and report on any announcements from company officials, the Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet and local workforce agencies about assistance for affected employees.
Marcus Ellison is the state correspondent covering business and economic news for WE NEWS.
