To have such an innovative, new and developing company based right here in Hamilton is a great opportunity for us to engage with and present, he said.
“The response to that has been phenomenal. I would encourage people to book now. We have very limited availability left,” MacKenzie-Thurley said.
The Fitton Center’s catering partner, Two Women in a Kitchen, is also working to present produce from 80 Acres Farms as part of the luncheon event.
“If you’re going to talk about this incredible produce, what a great way to talk about it. You’ll hear about this great produce as you’re eating it, and it’s probably been picked fresh that day,” he said.
Hamilton-based 80 Acres Farms and Infinite Acres are revolutionizing the way to grow produce and the company is delivering the freshest food possible to patrons. 80 Acres Farms grows everything pesticide-free at an eco-friendly, indoor farm. The company was founded in 2015.
Tisha Livingston, co-founder of 80 Acres Farms and CEO of Infinite Acres said she and Mike Zelkind, co-founder and CEO of 80 Acres Farms, started their journey thinking they wanted to build greenhouses. Quickly, they realized that was not a simple, scalable solution, and not something that would really solve the need for fresh, healthy produce, year around. Then, they looked at technology and vertical farming.
Livingston said, “We quickly realized the technology was developing fast, and you could control everything in the climate. You could control all the circumstances around a plant, and you could do it locally, and you could have the same recipe, or the same facility all over the world.”
In her talk at the Fitton Center, Livingston will share the over-arching message of “Hamilton to the world” and how the innovative technology created in Hamilton is being exported across the United States and all over the world.
80 Acres Farms produces salads, microgreens, herbs, cucumbers and tomatoes that are available at retailers including Kroger, Whole Foods, The Fresh Market, Jungle Jim’s International Markets and Dorothy Lane Market, as well as food service distributors including Sysco and US Foods.
The company recently announced the construction of two new farms in Florence, Ky. and Covington, Ga.
Livingston said the Kentucky farm is being built in three phases. The first phase has already started, and basil is being grown at the facility. The first commercial harvest is expected to occur in the next few days. Phase two is anticipated to be finished by June and phase three are expected to be completed by October of 2023.
“The Atlanta farm will be a fast follow right behind that,” she said. “Those farms will be four and five times the size of our current farm that we have in Hamilton, and they will continue to service more retail stores. So, we are building these new farms to be able to further our reach of product,” Livingston said.
Business leaders from all over the globe have traveled to Hamilton to see the company’s facilities and how it operates.
How to go
What: “Celebrating Self” featuring Tisha Livingston, co-founder of 80 Acres Farms and CEO of Infinite Acres
When: 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 11
Where: The Fitton Center for Creative Arts, 101 S. Monument Ave., Hamilton
Cost: Tickets for the event are $19 for members; $25 for non-members. The luncheon speaker series will include a buffet lunch and local live music.
More info: www.fittoncenter.org or (513) 863-8873 ext. 110.
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