I Built Vital Farms: A $460 Million Business Selling $10 Eggs

A self-described "serial entrepreneur," Matt O'Hayer has started nearly 50 businesses in his life. In 2007, though, he decided to begin a network of family-run farms that produce high-quality, pasture-raised eggs. With 27 acres of land and 20 Rhode Island Red hens in Austin, TX, Matt's dream -- and a $460 million business called Vital Farms -- was born.

Correction: The price of Vital Farms Restorative Eggs is $9.99 and Vital Vacations is a premium Yacht company. An earlier version misstated this information.

Produced & Edited by: Raffi Paul
Senior Managing Producer: Eric M. Clark
Camera: Corentin Soibinet
Reporter: Tom Huddleston Jr.
Animator: Elham Ataeiazar
Additional Footage: Vital Farms, Getty Images

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I Built Vital Farms: A $460 Million Business Selling $10 Eggs

[davidthang]

That’s my dad and my brother in law at 0:45, we own a farm under Vital in Missouri and we are so grateful to be part of such an esteemed company! Our chickens are very well taken care of and we put great effort into making sure they live a healthy and free life.

[michellethaler]

I love their eggs, Especially the little letter the chickens write inside the carton.

[salpine]

“It’s more expensive to not torture an animal.” The truth is stranger than fiction, folks.

[TheStrategos]

I buy two cartons a week. Eating healthy and paying a little more is cheaper than a hospital bill in the long run.

[passiveincomeadventures]

We toured the original Vital Farms in Austin in 2007 when they first started, at the same time when we were first starting our homestead, and wanted to see a large pasture operation. It was amazing that Matt's advice on our 5-hen flock using the same backyard techniques scaled up to one of the largest retail producers in the country! As en entrepreneur myself, I was really inspired and continue to be inspired by the experience.

[FloMoLBow]

I have been buying Vital Farms eggs for years. Hands down the best eggs we've ever eaten. My 13yo daughter's favorite protein is eggs, so making sure she is getting the most nutrients without antibiotics or growth hormones is really important to me. Glad to see it isn't all smoke and mirrors. I've tried other eggs that make similar claims when VF wasn't available, and the yolk color, taste and shells just can't compare.

[wild-radio]

HEY VITAL! thank you for not being evil❤

[SecretCollage]

Love it. Feature more brands like this please. We need to help them which helps us.

[TrippHouse-zb]

"To do the right thing is not always cheap" I am officially a supporter--even if it is more expensive.

[mmmmmmmmmmm]

The moral of the story is be friends with the owner of whole foods then make a product that will sell well at whole food, ie. Expensive eggs. Now go out and getem guys.

[Pandrogas]

*Quick Note on Orange Yolks:* Farm raised eggs will have richer yolks of usually a deeper yellow, maybe a slight orange. Intense orange color is a marketing ploy, the chickens are fed things like marigold extract and turmeric to produce that color, it has nothing to do with how they are raised.

[thewebstylist]

The only eggs we buy/eat the last few years (those yolks say it all) and SO Grateful a company doing ‘the right thing’ can grow so huge (35% every years the last 8 yrs is absolutely amazing and so well deserved) Grateful every morn to vital farms

[Nathan_Mash]

Vital Farms introduced me to the pasture-raised egg market. However, when the recent bird flu induced egg shortage happened its egg prices rose by 50%. I paid the those prices happily, however post-shortage other existing and new-entrant pasture raised egg brands that deliver the same type of solid yolk brought their prices back down while vital farms kept its prices elevated. Therefore, I now buy pastured raised eggs from other brands even though I do miss the paper newsletter contained in vital farms cartons.

[franciscoromero]

Crazy how in say Mexico, these are the eggs they sell everywhere. We rely too much on supermarkets

[matthewbattie]

This is inspiring. Vital Farm eggs are the only eggs that taste like home raised eggs.

[Love_To_Be_Love]

Thank you Vital for giving me fresh eggs and a good environment for the hens 🐓 🥚

[tr]

My respect to this man. All animals that we consume should be treated humanely.

[ladhkay]

I once bought their eggs as a last resort since the other eggs were sold out. I was a bit skeptical cuz they were $7 for a dozen! But their eggs are rich in quality, you can tell by the color of their yolk!

[desamecyra]

I live in town. My 3 hens keep my family supplied with eggs. I raise a fair amount of their protein, (worms and grubs), and they free-range rotating sections of the garden. They're also supplemented with kitchen scraps and garden produce. I also work outside the home fulltime. Getting chickens is one of the best decisions I've ever made. Haven't bought an egg in years, even in the short, cooler, annual time period Californians refer to as winter, my Australorp lays straight through. I can 100% understand the satisfaction one could derive from managing laying poultry operations.

[goldtree]

Cool initial concept but I still go to my local farmer. I can see the chickens roaming around the pastures as I drive up to the house. The eggs are cheaper, they know me by name, and I get to pet their guardian dogs. The decision by Vital Farms to go public only reinforces the shareholder grasp on their business. We all know how that will do in the long run. Cut the middle man out and just shop local, eat local. Or believe the hype and pay nearly $10/dozen to buy the investors another rental property — which you can’t afford anyway. Source: I’m an investor buying up properties thanks to VITL😂