AUSTIN, Texas — What does it mean to “be green”? It’s trying to leave the planet better than you found it. As conscious stewards of the gifts of nature, Vital Farms (Nasdaq: VITL) makes decisions across its business – from pasture to processing plant – that aim to conserve the earth’s resources. This shows up in tangible ways at our world-class facility, Egg Central Station (ECS), which is honored as Food Processing’s “Green Plant of the Year 2022”.
ECS nests in the heart of the pasture belt in Springfield, MO, less than a day’s drive from our 300+ family farms to shrink the footprint for our eggs’ journey from the barn. Our incredible crew members help grade, wash, and pack up to 6 million eggs a day at ECS before shipping the fragile cargo to thousands of grocery shelves and foodservice operators across the country.
So, what exactly makes ECS’s design “green”? We prioritized technologies like energy-efficient lights and a reusable water filtration system in the initial building in 2017. New features like retention ponds that recycle rainwater and solar panels that reduce electricity use were added in the recent expansion. Natural landscaping preserves plants native to the Ozarks and fosters soil health, eliminating the need for an irrigation system. These minimal environmental disruptions mean if you were to remove ECS from the land, you would never know a building existed there.
We’re proud to share this award with the Springfield community and our crew members, who have been vital collaborators and supporters since day one. Without them, this award wouldn’t be possible. We hope this recognition inspires others to consider sustainable manufacturing design solutions to help protect the earth for future generations.
Read Vital Farms’ award profile featuring an interview with Carl Kicklighter, our Director of Plant Operations, in Food Processing’s October issue: https://www.foodprocessing.com/awards/green-plant-of-the-year/article/21435510/green-plant-of-the-year-2022-vital-farms
To learn more about Vital Farms, visit: www.vitalfarms.com
ABOUT VITAL FARMS:
Vital Farms, a Certified B Corporation, offers a range of ethically produced foods nationwide. Started on a single farm in Austin, Texas, in 2007, Vital Farms is now a national consumer brand that works with over 300 small family farms and is the leading U.S. brand of pasture-raised eggs by retail dollar sales. Vital Farms’ ethics are exemplified by its focus on the humane treatment of farm animals and sustainable farming practices. In addition, as a Delaware Public Benefit Corporation, Vital Farms prioritizes the long-term benefits of each of its stakeholders, including farmers and suppliers, customers and consumers, communities and the environment, and crew members and stockholders. Vital Farms’ products, including shell eggs, butter, hard-boiled eggs, ghee, and liquid whole eggs, are sold in over 21,500 stores nationwide. Vital Farms pasture-raised eggs can also be found on menus at hundreds of foodservice operators across the country. For more information, visit www.vitalfarms.com.
