Vital Farms
| Private company | |
| Industry | Animal Farming |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Headquarters | Austin, Texas, U.S. |
Area served | United States |
| Website |
www |
Vital Farms is an Austin, Texas based company that specializes in pasture-raised eggs and pasture-raised butter. The company is widely considered a leader in the pasture-raised egg industry.[1][2]
Vital Farms was founded in 2007 by its CEO, Matthew O’Hayer, as a single-site operation on a 27-acre farm plot in Southwest Austin. Since then, the company has increased its network over 100 family-owned farms in six states - all geographically located in what the company calls the “pasture belt” . The company reported 2012 annual sales of $9.8 million,[3] and is the largest supplier of pasture-raised eggs to Whole Foods Market.
Vital Farms uses a sustainable agriculture technique that affords each egg laying hen a total of 108 square feet of foraging space, which allows for Vital Farms to be one of very few pasture raised eggs recognized by Certified Humane.[4] The pastured poultry technique was pioneered by Joel Salatin as a means to allow each hen an existence that better simulates its natural environment and thus provides a more healthy, nutrient rich egg.
The company has been awarded an exemplary score by the Cornucopia institute a non-profit organization "Seeking economic justice for the family-scale farming community." Vital farms was ranked number one fastest growing food and/or beverage company in the US in 2012 and #2 in 2013.[5]
References
- ↑ Hawkins, Lori. "Austin's Vital Farms is carving a niche in the pasture-raised egg industry". statesman.com. Statesman.com. Retrieved Nov 12, 2012.
- ↑ Walsh, Bryan. "Vital Farms: Raising the Ultra-Organic Egg". Time.com. Time Inc. Retrieved Oct 22, 2012.
- ↑ Ohikuare, Judith. "Free to Roam". Inc.com.
- ↑ Daily, Bill. "Egg labels may confuse consumers". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
- ↑ "Vital Farms". Inc.com.