One of the main reasons why microgreen seeds are expensive is the need for new soil and mats after each harvest. In addition, the regular sterilization of the equipment used adds extra to the cost.
Microgreens are more expensive than the regular greens and fruits you find in supermarkets. Although microgreens are very easy to maintain, they are more expensive than other greens due to their demand, nutritional value and delicacy when cultivating them.
What Are Microgreens?
Microgreens are the first leaves to appear after a plant has sprouted. The nutritional values of these plants are much higher than the big mature big greens.
For this reason, many high-quality restaurants around the world include microgreens in their menus. These plants contain the necessary minerals and vitamins for the body, are being cultivated and consumed more and more by people every day.
How Much Should Microgreen Seeds Cost?
The average microgreen seed is around $15/lb. If you buy in bulk, these prices can go much lower.
It must be said that microgreen seeds are more expensive than seeds of normal plants. If you are a new grower and have ready soil and trays, you can plant up to 1 oz of seeds relatively quickly. This can significantly reduce the cost per tray press.
What Is The Nutritional Value of Microgreens?
Most microgreens are richer in nutrients than mature large plants when compared. Microgreens contain many nutritious vitamins and minerals, and each plays an important role in human health.
Microgreens are known for their antioxidant effect, especially the magnesium iron, and zinc minerals they contain.
In addition, microgreens are a storehouse of vitamin C. The main reason why microgreens have such high nutritional values is that the first leaves that come out after sprouting are packed full of energy and fresh from the soil.
These leaves are the parts of the plant that carry the highest nutritional values. Microgreens are very beneficial against heart diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, and cognitive brain diseases such as Parkinson’s.
It is also known that microgreens can help strengthen the body’s immune system and prevent many diseases. These foods have very beneficial effects and are grown and consumed in many parts of the world.
Is it Expensive to Grow Microgreens?
You do not need a vast amount of capital to start growing microgreens. However, you will still need a small amount of money to make a good start.
The answer to this question is directly related to what kind of breeding model you will pursue.
If you are going to start this business in your own garden or in a room of your house as an amateur, you can start with around $ 100, and using a quick turnover method, you can expand your operation as your profit increases.
If you are a professional grower and you are planting in large areas, then you will need some significant capital, however, it will still be far less than if you were starting a traditional vegetable farm.
One of the most important things to know about microgreens is that the seeds are more expensive than other plant species.
Just like in other plant-based businesses, you will need fertile and quality soil, some labor for plant maintenance, and sustainable equipment. All of these factors are very important.
Can You Make Money Selling Microgreens?
Microgreen cultivation is one of the most profitable business models. Short-term harvesting cycles make it possible to earn large sums of money from mass planting of these crops.
Also, you don’t need big greenhouses for growing microgreens, due to their size.
The maintenance of microgreens is also easy and does not require much expense. There will be some fixed expenses in microgreen cultivation, as in other farming branches, but this will mainly only be for quality soil, irrigation, and electricity.
However, when you subtract all these from the post-harvest profit, you will find that your expenses are minimal. There is no need for tractors, fertilizers, or large complex irrigation systems like in traditional farming.
Where Do I Sell Microgreens?
There are many markets where you can sell the microgreens you have grown. The first of these is restaurants.
If you are a local grower and want to sell your microgreens to restaurants nearby, your job is quite easy. All you have to do is make a list of nearby restaurants and then contact these restaurants one by one.
The important thing here is how you introduce and sell your goods to buyers. Now you are not only a manufacturer but also a seller, and it will be helpful to know a little about sales and marketing.
Another method is to sell the microgreens you produce to the markets. Large supermarkets often work with national companies, so your best bet is to target smaller independent greengrocers and farmers markets.
If you talk to these businesses one-on-one and promise to supply them with fresh weekly microgreens they will consider your offer. Greengrocers usually try to buy fresh vegetables and fruits and sell them quickly.
Local farmers markets are crowded places where many sellers bring their products first-hand to the buyer. You can set up a stand here and sell your microgreens yourself directly to the customer.
Here you can sell your product first hand and negotiate with many buyers. Another good thing about local farmers markets is that you can meet and cooperate with many vendors like yourself and learn a lot about the business.
Why Are Microgreens So Profitable?
Microgreens have very short harvest cycles, making their cultivation very profitable in a short time. You don’t have to wait long to monetize microgreens.
While it may take a very long time for fully mature large-sized plants to reach maturity and be ready for harvest, the harvest time of microgreens varies between 2-3 weeks on average.
Another reason why microgreens are a profitable business model is that you do not need large start-up capital and the business can be started from your home.
You can get into this business even with a small amount of money and then expand your garden as you earn.
