Start a Microgreens Farm: The Garage-to-Restaurant Business Plan

The Opportunity

Urban farming isn't about planting massive fields of corn; it's about growing what can't easily be shipped. Enter microgreens—sprouts harvested 7 to 14 days after sowing, packed with nutrients and commanding a premium price. The market for specialty crops is shifting toward hyper-local, shelf-stable, and nutrient-dense produce.

Microgreens are the perfect crop for a garage or spare room operation. They require zero sunlight, have a rapid 1-to-2-week turnaround, and can be stacked vertically. A $20-$80/lb pricing model allows a farmer to generate serious revenue from a footprint smaller than a standard parking space. By mid-2026, the demand for local microgreens is at an all-time high, driven by restaurants seeking daily-fresh garnishes and health-conscious consumers willing to pay for premium nutrition. This is how to start a microgreen farm that actually turns a profit.

The Business Model

A microgreens business operates on a tight, high-margin B2B and B2C hybrid model.

Wholesale B2B

Local restaurants and farm-to-table chefs are your primary revenue drivers. You sell them whole trays (or portions) of pea shoots, radish, or sunflower greens at $20 to $35 per pound (roughly $10-$15 per 1020 grow tray). You provide a reliable, daily-fresh supply that local distributors cannot beat on quality.

Retail B2C

Farmers markets and local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) boxes make up your high-margin side. Retail pricing jumps to $30-$50 per pound (or $40-$60 for premium varieties like amaranth or daikon radish). You sell by the ounce or pre-packaged bundle at local markets and community groups.

The key to this model is volume and velocity. Because the harvest cycle is only 7-14 days, you can turn over the same 200 sq ft of space 4 to 8 times a month.

Who Your Customers Are

You are not selling to grocery chains; those margins are too slim and the logistics too complex for a startup. Your customers fall into two specific profiles:

1. 1The Farm-to-Table Chef: Chefs care about variety, freshness, and presentation. They will buy 3 to 5 different varieties of microgreens weekly to garnish their plates. They pay a premium for reliability—if you are late, their dish is ruined.
2. 2The Health-Conscious Retail Shoppers: These are people who already buy organic kale or quinoa. They want to add 100 calories of nutrient-dense greens to their smoothies and salads. They buy at farmers markets or order weekly subscription boxes.

Where to find them? For chefs, walk into their restaurants on Tuesday or Wednesday afternoons (their slowest times) and ask to speak to the head chef. For retail, secure a booth at your nearest farmers market and post in local community Facebook or Nextdoor groups.

Startup Costs & What You Need

You do not need a hydroponic lab to start. Keep it simple and functional. Here is the itemized breakdown to get a 200 sq ft garage microgreens farm operational:

• 1020 Grow Trays (50 trays): $50 (The industry standard 10x20 inch trays. You'll need 100 eventually, but start with 50).
• Coco Coir Grow Medium (2 large bales): $60 (The best soilless medium for mold prevention and drainage).
• Premium Seeds (Pea shoots, radish, sunflower, amaranth): $120 (Start with easy, high-demand varieties).
• LED Grow Lights (10 full-spectrum LED bars): $800 (Approximately $80 each. You need about 2 lights per shelf level).
• 4-Tier Metal Shelving (3 units): $450 ($150 each. Must be rated for 250+ lbs per shelf).
• Watering Equipment (Spray bottles, spray bottle attachments): $50
• Local Business License & Food Handler’s Permit: $100 (Check your local county health department; some states allow cottage-farm microgreens from home, others require a commercial kitchen rental).
• Packaging (Clamshells, labels, bands): $70

Total Startup Cost: ~$1,700

Revenue Projections

Based on a 200 sq ft space with 3 shelving units (holding roughly 45-50 trays per harvest cycle), here is a realistic trajectory assuming you harvest every 10 days:

• Month 1 ($300): You are testing crops, building relationships with 2 chefs, and selling out of your trunk at one local market. You are learning what grows fast and what the market wants.
• Month 6 ($1,800): You have 4 steady restaurant contracts buying 15 lbs of greens weekly. You also sell 10 lbs weekly at the farmers market. You have optimized your 10-day cycle.
• Month 12 ($4,000): You have expanded to 5 restaurant contracts (25 lbs weekly wholesale) and 15 lbs weekly retail. You are introducing premium $60/lb varieties (like purple amaranth) that double your margin on retail sales. You have scaled the operation to its physical limit in the garage.

How to Get Started: Step-by-Step

1. 1 Secure and Prep the Space: Choose a 15x15 ft garage, spare bedroom, or basement. The space needs a water source, electrical outlets, and a way to control temperature (between 65-75°F is ideal for most microgreens). Install the metal shelving and ensure it is level.
2. 2 Install Lighting: Mount the LED bar lights to the shelves. They should be about 18-24 inches above the top shelf. Plug them into timers set for 12-14 hours of light per day.
3. 3 Prepare the First Trays: Spread a 1-inch layer of coco coir in 10 of your 1020 trays. Sow seeds densely (about 3-4 lbs of pea shoots per tray). Mist them with water until the seeds are moist but not drowning. Cover the trays with a dark dome to encourage germination for 3 days.
4. 4 Get Legal: Apply for your local business license and food handler’s permit. If your state requires commercial kitchen prep for retail sales, reserve 2 hours a week at a local incubator kitchen for $25-30/hr.
5. 5 Harvest and Sample: Once the microgreens are 2-3 inches tall and have developed their first true leaves, cut them above the soil line, wash them in a food-safe basin, and spin-dry them. Take photos of 3 different varieties.
6. 6 Approach Chefs: Walk into 5 local restaurants with your samples and a simple one-page price sheet. Offer them a free 1-lb tray to try. Ask if they will order from you next week.
7. 7 Launch the Farmers Market: Set up a simple table with labeled, pre-weighed bundles of microgreens. Have cash and a Square reader ready.

Key Risks & How to Manage Them

• Mold and Fungus: This is the #1 killer of microgreen crops. Coco coir helps, but you must manage humidity. Mitigation: Ensure your grow room has air circulation (a $50 box fan in the corner is a game-changer) and never over-water. The medium should be damp, not wet.
• Spoilage: Microgreens are highly perishable. Mitigation: Harvest only what you have sold. Do not harvest on Monday for a Wednesday delivery unless you have a dedicated commercial cooler. Store harvested greens in the fridge at 35-40°F immediately after washing.
• Market Saturation: Pea shoots are easy to grow, meaning many new farmers sell them. Mitigation: Differentiate with unique varieties like purple basil, daikon radish, or sunflower shoots, which command higher prices and have less competition.
• Labor Bottlenecks: Sowing 50 trays every 10 days requires time. Mitigation: Batch your work. Sow all 50 trays on Tuesday, water daily on Tuesday morning, harvest on Monday. Keep your process tight.

First Step This Week

Do not buy 50 trays today. Instead, go to Amazon or a local gardening supply store, buy one 1020 grow tray, one bag of pea shoot seeds, and one bag of coco coir. Grow a single tray in your kitchen cabinet using a desk lamp and a spray bottle. If you can successfully sow, grow, harvest, and eat that tray in 10 days, you have validated the cycle. Only then do you invest in the shelving and lights. Get your hands dirty with one tray before you build the farm.