Indoor farming company in Marysville ‘winds down,’ laying off 55
Aug 4, 2026, 10:35 AM
A worker carries basil plants grown under custom made lights. (Photo: Pierre Crom, Getty Images)
(Photo: Pierre Crom, Getty Images)
An indoor agriculture company in Marysville, 80 Acres Urban Agriculture, is permanently “winding down” and laying off 55 employees after acquisition negotiations fell through.
The company’s “local facility” is at 4010 156th Street N.E., but also has locations in Ohio and Kentucky that are slated to close.
The company cited failed acquisition negotiations as the reason for the closure. Until immediately before the notice was submitted, 80 Acres was actively engaged in negotiations to be acquired, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) filing.
“After an exhaustive effort to find a way forward, 80 Acres Farms is winding down operations,” Cofounder and CEO Mike Zelkind said, according to AgFunderNews. “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 US. We’re proud of our work, the problems we solved, and the fresh, clean produce that fed so many people. Unfortunately, under current circumstances, we could not secure the capital required to continue that work.”
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Last-minute withdrawal by the buyer sealed the Marysville facility’s fate
If the acquisition was completed, the company expected to receive the capital necessary to continue operations and avoid or postpone its closure.
The negotiations had progressed, and the company “reasonably believed” the transaction was going to move forward. Instead, on Aug. 2, the prospective acquirer “unexpectedly” withdrew from the negotiation.
The company noted that it lacked the anticipated transaction proceeds and additional funding to sustain operations, leading to the decision to “wind down its business.”
Of the 55 employees laid off, 29 worked as “packers,” with other job titles including labeling technicians, line coordinators, and production supervisors, among others.
The company anticipates that all position reductions will occur between Aug. 3 and Aug. 17.
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