Vital Farms, Inc.
Public
Traded as
Founded2007 (age 19)
FounderMatt O'Hayer
Hq location cityAustin, Texas
Hq location countryUnited States
Key peopleRussell Diez-Canseco (CEO) Thilo Wrede (CFO) Pete Pappas (Chief Sales Officer & President, Eggs) Kathryn McKeon (CMO & General Manager, Butter)
IndustryFood processing
ProductsEggs, butter
RevenueUS$658 million (TTM, June 2025)
Websitevitalfarms.com

Vital Farms, Inc. is an American egg and butter brand founded by Matt O'Hayer in 2007 and headquartered in Austin, Texas.[1][2] Vital Farms sells in more than 23,500 stores across the country and accounts for approximately 3% of U.S. egg sales, reaching nearly $1 billion in annual revenue.[3] In 2025, Vital Farms announced that it plans to grow its revenue to $2 billion by 2030.[4]

Vital Farms partners with a network of more than 425 family-owned farms across the US.[5] Vital Farms is a publicly-traded company on Nasdaq and a certified B Corporation.[6][7]

History

Vital Farms was initially founded in 2007 by Matt O’Hayer in Austin, Texas. O'Hayer built the company with 20 hens in a 27-acre farm based on the philosophy of conscious capitalism.[1][8] On July 31, 2020, the company went public in a $125 million IPO on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol VITL.[9] Its largest shareholders are institutional investors.[10]

Vital Farms specializes in providing ethically sourced eggs and butter by partnering directly with a network of family-owned farms.[11][8]

Vital Farms added approximately 75 new farms during the third quarter of 2025, and its grower network increased to over 10 million hens.[12]

In 2025 the company started construction on an egg washing and packing facility in Seymour, Indiana that is expected to generate $350 million in additional revenue by 2027.[13]

Animal welfare

Vital Farms hens have outdoor access but are fed a conventional corn and soy diet.[10] In 2021 a consumer lawsuit brought by PETA and a few individual plaintiffs alleged that Vital Farms misled customers to believe its hens were treated more ethically than in reality.[14][15] In 2022, a Texas judge decided that the lawsuit had merit.[16]

Nutrition content

A third-party lab test found that linoleic acid made up roughly 23% of the fat in Vital Farms eggs, higher than in eggs of forage-raised hens.[10] Vital Farms faced consumer backlash over the feed practices and allegations of greenwashing.[17][18]

See also

References

  1. ^ Sullivan, Paul (May 28, 2021). "How to Tell if a Company’s Claim of Ethical Practices Is True". New York Times
  2. ^ Strom, Stephanie (November 23, 2015). "Putting the Chicken Before the Egg". – via NYTimes.com.
  3. ^ Hemmersmeier, Sean (November 7, 2025). "Austin-based Vital Farms says its nearing $1B revenue mark". Austin Business Journal
  4. ^ Kohn-Lindquist, Josh (December 16, 2025). "Why Vital Farms Stock Is Plunging Today". Motley Fool
  5. ^ "Vital Farms Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Financial Results". Vital Farms Investor Relations. 6 March 2025. Retrieved 15 October 2025.
  6. ^ "Vital Farms: B Corporation Profile". B Lab Global. Retrieved 15 October 2025.
  7. ^ Looking for an Alternative to ESG Investing? Here’s One Possibility Lori Ioannou, Wall Street Journal, August 20, 2023
  8. ^ Paul, Raffi & Huddleston Jr., Tom (October 4, 2023). "68-year-old started 'about 50 businesses,' then 'stopped trying to get rich'—and built a $450 million egg company". CNBC
  9. ^ "Pasture-raised egg producer Vital Farms sets terms for $125 million IPO". Nasdaq
  10. ^ Testing Raises Questions About a Popular “Pasture-Raised” Egg Sold Across New Jersey New Jersey Digest, MICHAEL SCIVOLI, January 16, 2026
  11. ^ "Vital Farms: Leading the Way in Ethical Food Production". Conscious Capitalism, Inc.. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  12. ^ Graber, Roy (November 4, 2025). "Vital Farms’ grower network eclipses 10 million hens". WATTPoultry
  13. ^ Stern, Gary (November 10, 2025). "Vital Farms’ Pasture-Raised Eggs Boosting Revenue". Forbes
  14. ^ Miller, Merlyn (October 7, 2024). "Why Social Media Users Are Accusing This Egg Brand of Scamming Its Customers". Food & Wine
  15. ^ Oliver, Sara (February 18, 2026). "6 Truths About Vital Farms PETA Is Ready to Bring to Shareholder Meetings". PETA
  16. ^ Wellbank, Lauren (October 2, 2024). "Vital Farms Exposed: Everything You Need to Know About Lawsuit Against the Egg Company". Green Matters
  17. ^ Bivins, Kenn C. (January 21, 2026). "Fans Are Calling for a Boycott of This Popular Egg Brand Over Greenwashing Claims—Here’s What to Know". Parade
  18. ^ Kryger, Kelsey (January 22, 2026). "Consumers Call for Boycott Over Vital Farms Egg Scandal. Here’s What a Health Coach Wants You to Know". Men's Journal