By Jesse Newman

Once Upon a Farm is betting the MAHA era is its moment.

The maker of organic kids' food is set to make a debut on the New York Stock Exchange Friday, during a time when food is under scrutiny by consumers and government officials.

Once Upon a Farm, co-founded by veteran food executive John Foraker and actress Jennifer Garner, caters to millennial and Gen Z parents with pouches, oat bars, frozen meals and pantry snacks made without added sugar, preservatives or artificial ingredients.

U.S. consumers are more focused than ever on health and wellness, paying particular attention to foods' ingredients and the way they are made. The Trump administration's "Make America Healthy Again" movement is fueling that focus, sending food companies scrambling to update their offerings to satisfy regulators as well as consumers.

Foraker, the company's chief executive, said in an interview that consumers increasingly understand the relationship between what they eat and their overall health, and that desire for fresher fare and clean ingredients has grown more mainstream.

"That's been a steady tailwind for years and years," Foraker said. "There's no question that it's blowing stronger now."

Once Upon a Farm was founded in 2015 by Cassandra Curtis and Ari Raz. Foraker and Garner joined two years later, helping bring to market refrigerated pouches that now compete with Gerber, GoGo squeeZ and Stonyfield.

The Berkeley, Calif.-based company has expanded its product lineup, in recent years installing coolers filled with its products in grocery stores to meet growing demand for fresh baby food. Garner said Once Upon a Farm could develop new products that help parents make children's lunch each day.

The IPO priced at $18 a share, in the middle of the $17-to-$19 range expected.

For the 12 months ended Sept. 30, 2025, Once Upon a Farm booked net sales of $226 million, according to a January filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. It had a net loss of $52 million for the same period.

Garner, who has starred in movies such as "Pearl Harbor" and "13 Going on 30," serves on the company's board. In her role as co-founder and "Farmer Jen," she received $1 million in 2025, with $2 million due this year, along with another $2 million in 2027 and $3 million in 2028. Garner has also received stock options, and is eligible for a cash bonus tied to the public offering price.

Foraker, who previously led Annie's Homegrown and sold it to General Mills, earned $3.3 million in total compensation for 2025, according to the filing.

The company is set to list on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "OFRM." Proceeds from the IPO will be used to repay debts, purchase new equipment and fund other expenses, according to the filing.

Write to Jesse Newman at jesse.newman@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 06, 2026 08:46 ET (13:46 GMT)

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