SEYMOUR, Ind. (WDRB) -- More than 150 jobs are being created in Seymour, Indiana, all thanks to a new distribution plant.
Texas-based Vital Farms is branching out to build a second world-class egg washing and packing facility. It'll bring the new jobs to Seymour as it's expected to bring a big impact to local agriculture.
The ethical food company will create a 72-acre plant just off Interstate 65 focusing on egg production. It will partner with 160 small farms to help source the eggs.
Vital Farms announced June 26, 2024, that a world-class egg washing and packing facility will be built in Seymour, Indiana. (WDRB photo)
"The small family farms that we work with are relative to the industry norm really small," Vital Farms President Russell Diez-Canseco said. "They might have 20,000 birds as opposed to hundreds of thousands or even millions."
The chickens all must be pasture-raised and the company will work with those who want to focus specifically on egg production.
"We often will teach them that part of it and they would typically build a new facility just for the business they are doing with us -- new barn, new fences, and a new driveway," Diez-Canseco said.
Vital Farms already has a plant in Missouri and distributes to 24,000 stores throughout the U.S.
Buyers will be able to type in a code and go to the official website where it will show you the exact farm your eggs just came from.
"Agriculture is a huge part of what we do, a huge part of our community and another great way for us to grow as a community at this time," Seymour Mayor Matt Nicholson said.
So why Seymour? Vital Farms needed to find an area that has a temperate climate where chickens can roam year-round, a place that gets plenty of rain and has adequate vegetation.
The company will create 150 new jobs and purchased enough land to expand if needed.
"It is just a good chance for not just residents of the city of Seymour but residents around the state even branching down and probably Kentucky and Ohio that would be within the range they need to make all of this work," Nicholson said.
"We’re excited to now have Seymour and the community be one of those important stakeholders and contributing to this community," Diez-Canseco said.
Vital Farms plans on having their plant open by the end of 2026. For more information on Vital Farms, click here.
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