We are excited to work closely with Cincinnati-based 80 Acres, the next generation of fresh and locally grown produce, as DLM partners with 80 Acres. Not only are their lettuces, microgreens, and tomatoes grown year-round thanks to indoor farming techniques, but they use zero pesticides, food miles are kept to a minimum, and they use 100% renewable energy.

Big vision, right? Well, they’ve done it and they call it 80 Acres. The name comes not from the number of acres it takes to grow, but in how much food can be grown in a smaller space utilizing vertical farming techniques. This is a super-efficient method for growing that yields the equivalent of a farm with 80 acres of land, give or take.

It’s easy to see why we became fast friends. When talking to 80 Acres founders Mike Zelkind and Trish Livingston as well as Samantha Bergman, one of the first 80 Acres team members, it’s clear that they are doing what they love. Samantha joined the company when it was just a big vision—nearly 4.5 years ago. She had an immediate connection to 80 Acres Farms’ mission. Years ago, while living in Chile, Samantha experienced the benefits of fresh, locally grown food as she shopped in the markets. She felt better physically, but she also developed a deep emotional connection to the community that grew it. She knew that 80 Acres Farms was her opportunity to make that magic happen in her own community while making a positive impact on the planet.

Samantha was the first grower at the farm in Cincinnati. As the farm grew, she moved into the farm manager role and eventually found the path to business development. She realized that as much as she loved the plants, what she really enjoyed was finding the perfect partners for 80 Acres products and building relationships with them. From the early beginnings, she knew that Dorothy Lane Market would be a great partner and now she’s very excited to bring 80 Acres into the family of Dorothy Lane Market’s brand.

For that, we are grateful. We are excited to showcase a couple of their varieties for our DLM Salad Blends as DLM partners with 80 Acres. The Gem City Mix has crispy green ice lettuce and radish microgreens. Buckeye Bliss features green incised lettuce, green frilled lettuce, green and red romaine, with a dash of Dijon mustard microgreens. Then we have Frilly Leaf—green incised lettuce that will remind you of a frisée lettuce.