Rose Acre Farms is in the process of building a new US$1.3 million egg processing plant, as well as cage-free houses at its Jen Acres Farm located in North Vernon, Indiana.
The construction comprises six cage-free houses with a total capacity of 1.2 – 1.3 million layers, said Tony Wesner, Rose Acre Farms Chief Operating Officer, in an interview with Egg Industry Insight.
Jen Acres Farm previously produced only conventional eggs, was originally built in the 1960s and went through a couple of remodels over the decades, explained Wesner. However, few years ago, the producer decided to convert the facility to cage-free housing.
Additionally, Wesner said that the new plant would be able to process more eggs than the old one and would include bigger grading equipment and up-to-date technology.
“We are going to install MOBA’s new grading equipment and updated climate control technology in the plant,” he added.
Wesner explained that over the last six to seven years, Rose Acre had started transitioning to cage-free production as housing legislation had been implemented and customer commitments been made.
Construction at Jen Acres Farm is expected to be completed in August 2024.Courtesy Rose Acre Farms
Rose Acre Farms’ other cage-free expansions
In May 2023, Rose Acre held a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of its Desert Valley Egg Farm in Arizona. The producer started construction in Fall 2023 with plans for completion in 2026. The US$100 million farm is expected to house 2.2 million cage-free laying hens.
At the ceremony, the producer said the new farm would be similar in size and scope to its 2,600-acre Lone Cactus Farm, near Bouse, Arizona, which houses approximately three million laying hens.
In October 2020, Rose Acre announced that, in a joint venture with Weaver Eggs, it had purchased AGR Partners’ entire interest in egg producer Opal Foods, which produces cage-free, organic and nutritionally enhanced eggs.
