Selling microgreens isn’t just about growing them right. It’s about pricing them smart. Charge too little and you’re working for free. Charge too much and customers quietly walk away.
The sweet spot is where your trays bring in real profit without chasing people off. That number isn’t picked from thin air or copied from the next grower’s stall. It’s built from your real costs, your time, your effort.
This guide walks you through how to price your microgreens with clarity and confidence. No guesswork, no stress. Just honest numbers, smart strategy, and a path to turning your greens into a steady income 🌱💸📦
Why Proper Pricing Matters
Setting the right price for microgreens is not just about making a sale. It’s about building a business that lasts. A lot of growers make the mistake of choosing a price based on what they see others doing. That approach often leads to problems because every grower’s situation is different. Your location, your input costs, the way you grow, and the market you sell to are unique. What works for someone else might not work for you at all.
One of the biggest risks with incorrect pricing is running a business that seems busy but barely breaks even—or worse, loses money. This is especially dangerous with microgreens, which appear to have high margins. If you sell a 2-ounce container for five dollars, but your cost per unit is three or more, your margin is thin. Once you factor in your time, packaging, delivery fuel, electricity, and seed, that small profit quickly disappears.
On the flip side, microgreens have strong earning potential if priced properly. A single shelf holding twenty trays in a small space can produce around two thousand dollars in monthly sales if each tray yields enough and sells at a profitable price. The key is knowing your actual cost and being willing to charge what your product is worth. With the right numbers in hand, you can set prices that support a healthy, growing business—not just cover your costs.
Understanding Your Production Costs
To price microgreens correctly, you need to know exactly how much each tray costs you to grow. Without these numbers, pricing is a guessing game. Each tray involves several expenses that must be tracked and added up to determine your true cost per unit.
Seed is usually the first cost to calculate. For example, speckled peas cost about one dollar and six cents per tray when purchased in bulk. That means a five-gallon bucket of seed might cost around forty-seven dollars and last you multiple trays depending on the crop. Other popular varieties like radish, kale, and broccoli also vary widely in price. Broccoli seed, for instance, might cost around twenty-four dollars per pound, while kale is closer to forty-six. These differences matter when calculating profitability per tray and per ounce.
Next is soil or growing medium. A bale of Promix HP or MP costs roughly sixty dollars and typically yields about fifty trays. That puts your cost per tray somewhere between seventy-five cents and a dollar twenty, depending on how thick you lay the soil and whether you reuse trays.
Fertilizer is another small but influential cost. A product like Gaia Green 4-4-4 runs around twenty-eight dollars. Even though you use only a small scoop per tray, adding fertilizer often results in better yields, which reduces your overall cost per ounce. Some growers report a return on investment of over one thousand percent just from improved tray output when using fertilizer properly.
Trays themselves are a one-time or occasional cost. High-quality growing trays, with or without holes, typically cost about one hundred and fifty dollars for a set of thirty. These last a long time but should still be factored in, especially if you’re just starting out.
Packaging is an ongoing cost that adds up quickly. A common setup is a twenty-four-ounce clamshell container that costs about twenty-six cents per piece when bought in bulk. Multiply that by dozens or hundreds of sales per week, and packaging becomes a major recurring expense.
Electricity should also be considered, particularly if you’re using grow lights. Even energy-efficient lights consume power, and that cost is directly tied to your utility rates and how long the lights are on each day. A full-spectrum light may run for eighteen hours daily over seven to ten days, which adds up if you’re running multiple racks.
Labor and delivery are often underestimated. Your time matters, even if you’re doing everything yourself. From planting and harvesting to washing and packaging, the hours spent need to be accounted for. If you’re delivering to customers, don’t forget to include mileage, fuel, and the time required for each drop-off.
Knowing these numbers is the foundation of your pricing strategy. It gives you confidence when you quote a price and clarity when you assess your margins.
Calculating Cost per Tray and Per Package
Once you know the cost of your individual inputs, it’s time to calculate your cost per tray and per packaged product. This is where everything comes together to form the basis for pricing decisions.
Let’s take a realistic example. If your seed cost is one dollar and six cents, soil is around seventy-five cents, and you add packaging at twenty-six cents per container, you’re already close to two dollars per pack. When you include labor, electricity, and water usage, the total production cost per tray can reach approximately nine dollars and forty-nine cents.
Assuming your tray yields twenty to twenty-four ounces of microgreens, you can calculate your cost per ounce. Using the twenty-four-ounce yield, your per-ounce cost is roughly forty cents. If you’re packaging into two-ounce containers, that’s eighty cents in greens alone. When you add packaging, the total cost for one package becomes about one dollar and six cents.
This simple calculation shows that if you sell a two-ounce pack for five dollars, your gross margin per unit is three dollars and ninety-four cents. That sounds good, but remember, that’s before you subtract the cost of your labor and delivery. If those aren’t tracked and included, you might overestimate your profitability.
To get the most accurate numbers, use a spreadsheet or calculator that breaks down each cost line-by-line. This allows you to adjust inputs as your expenses change, such as rising seed costs or bulk discounts.
Understanding cost per tray and per unit gives you the data you need to make pricing decisions with confidence. It ensures that your prices are sustainable and scalable, rather than arbitrary.
Setting Retail Prices by Market
After understanding your costs, the next step is choosing the right price for your market. Prices vary widely depending on where and how you sell your microgreens. Each market type comes with different expectations, volume potential, and profit margins.
For direct-to-consumer sales at farmers’ markets or pop-up events, most growers price two-ounce containers between four and six dollars. This range gives room to adjust based on how well you sell and whether you’re selling out consistently. At these events, presentation and packaging often play a bigger role in perceived value than just the microgreens themselves. Many customers are willing to pay more for a clean, well-branded product that feels premium.
Selling through online orders or local delivery can support similar pricing, but you’ll need to consider the added time and transportation costs. Including a delivery fee or setting a minimum order amount can help offset those expenses. Some growers offer subscription-style delivery where customers receive a weekly order at a set price. This helps stabilize revenue and simplifies your workflow.
When working with grocery stores, you typically need to sell at a wholesale rate that is thirty to forty percent lower than your retail price. This gives the store enough margin to resell at competitive prices. For example, if you sell directly at six dollars per pack, your wholesale price to the store might be closer to three dollars and sixty cents. It’s important to clarify terms upfront and always invoice for your deliveries. Avoid consignment arrangements, where you get paid only if the product sells, because the risk shifts to you and shrinkage (unsold product) eats into your profits.
Supplying restaurants and chefs opens up room for premium pricing, especially for specialty mixes or microgreens with high visual appeal. Some chefs are willing to pay three to six dollars per ounce, depending on the quality and consistency you provide. The more reliable you are with delivery, appearance, and shelf life, the more these clients will trust you and place repeat orders.
Each sales channel has unique advantages, and your prices should reflect the value you bring. A single price point rarely works for all markets, so it’s best to tailor your approach and remain flexible as your business grows.
When and How to Raise Your Prices
Raising your prices can feel uncomfortable, but it’s often a necessary part of running a sustainable business. As your costs rise or your product improves, pricing needs to reflect that. A common mistake among growers is sticking with early prices that were set without enough information. Over time, this leads to shrinking margins, frustration, and eventually burnout.
One clear sign that it’s time to raise prices is when you’re consistently selling out. If demand is high and you can’t keep up with orders, it means your pricing might be too low. Customers are already seeing value in your product. A small increase won’t push them away, especially if your quality remains consistent.
Another indicator is if your costs have gone up—whether it’s seeds, fuel, electricity, or packaging. Holding your prices steady while everything else becomes more expensive cuts directly into your bottom line. Many growers hesitate to raise prices out of fear, but experience shows that most customers are more understanding than expected.
In one case, a grower increased their price from five dollars to six dollars per container after gaining experience and improving product quality. The increase didn’t result in any complaints or lost customers. In fact, some customers felt the product was underpriced before and appreciated the fair adjustment.
When you do decide to raise prices, transparency helps. You don’t need to justify every penny, but a simple note like “reflecting increased costs of sustainable materials” can go a long way. You can also bundle value to make the change smoother. For example, offer a subscription package with a slight discount or include a bonus sample for first-time buyers.
Gradual increases often work best. Raising prices by fifty cents to a dollar at a time is reasonable and allows you to monitor customer response. Tracking how your profit changes after each increase helps determine if you’ve found the right balance between value and affordability.
Pricing should evolve as your business does. If you’re producing better microgreens, becoming more efficient, or adding delivery options, then your pricing deserves to evolve too.
Positioning: More Than Just the Price
Pricing isn’t just about numbers. It’s also about perception. The way your microgreens are positioned in the market plays a huge role in how much people are willing to pay. You can have the best quality product, but if it’s poorly presented or inconsistently packaged, it might not command the value it deserves.
Positioning is how you communicate the value of your microgreens. It starts with how you package them. Clear, well-sealed clamshell containers with custom labels show that care has been taken. Labels that include your farm name, harvest date, and variety name help build brand identity and customer trust.
Consistency is key. When customers know exactly what to expect each time they buy, they’re more likely to return—and pay a little more. Microgreens that are clean, uniform, and fresh-looking stand out. Offering mixes that are curated for flavor or nutrition adds perceived value beyond just selling single crops.
Your story also matters. Are your greens grown with organic inputs? Are you using local compost? Do you deliver within hours of harvest? These are the details that set you apart and allow for higher pricing. For many consumers, especially at farmers markets or through subscriptions, buying from a small grower is about supporting a lifestyle, not just getting food.
Positioning also involves how you talk about your product. Instead of focusing only on weight, emphasize the freshness, taste, and health benefits. Microgreens aren’t just food—they’re nutrient-dense, visually beautiful, and grown locally. If you’re selling directly to chefs, highlight how your greens can elevate presentation and add texture to dishes.
All of this helps shift the focus away from just the price tag. When customers see the value clearly, they’re more likely to accept a premium price without hesitation.
Tools and Resources for Pricing
Keeping track of costs, yields, and pricing decisions doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does need to be organized. A simple spreadsheet is often the best tool to start with. It allows you to calculate the cost of each tray based on seed, soil, packaging, electricity, and labor. From there, you can figure out your cost per ounce and compare that to your selling price.
Several growers use a calculator template that breaks down cost per input and helps you estimate profits per tray. You can build your own in Google Sheets or Excel. Set up columns for each input, then create a formula that calculates the total cost based on quantities used per tray. Add another column to track your yields so you can see how much each tray actually produces.
This kind of system becomes more useful the more you grow. If one crop consistently costs more to produce or yields less, you’ll see it clearly in the numbers. That allows you to adjust prices or focus on more profitable varieties.
Beyond spreadsheets, having a simple system to track orders helps keep your business running smoothly. Whether you’re selling through markets, stores, or restaurant accounts, knowing who ordered what and when is essential. A basic customer database with names, email addresses, and order history can help you follow up and offer repeat customers special deals.
Time tracking is another useful habit. Keeping a log of how long you spend planting, harvesting, and delivering each week gives you a better sense of your labor cost per tray. Over time, this helps you spot opportunities to streamline and increase profitability.
Even basic tools can provide deep insight when used consistently. They turn vague guesses into actionable data and give you the confidence to price your product fairly and profitably.
Bonus: Pro Tips
A few small adjustments can go a long way in boosting profitability and making your workflow smoother. One of the most effective strategies is batching your work. Instead of harvesting and packaging one tray at a time, harvest several trays together, weigh and sort everything, and then package in one session. This reduces your time per package and makes the process more efficient.
Pre-selling your microgreens before harvest is another smart approach. Whether through weekly subscriptions, standing restaurant orders, or online pre-orders, selling ahead helps reduce waste. You’ll know exactly how many trays to grow and can avoid overproduction, which saves on seeds, labor, and space.
Offering subscription packages is a great way to build consistent income. Many growers offer weekly or bi-weekly deliveries to customers who sign up for a month or more. This model helps even out cash flow and makes planning easier. You can offer variety packs or specialty blends to keep it interesting.
Keeping your packaging clean and professional makes a noticeable difference. People often buy with their eyes first. Even if your microgreens are high quality, messy or mismatched packaging can hurt sales. Investing in uniform containers and a label printer can lift your product’s appearance and perceived value.
Lastly, don’t undervalue your knowledge and time. As your skill improves, your efficiency does too—and that’s worth charging for. Growing high-quality microgreens consistently is not easy. When your systems are dialed in, and customers are happy, it’s a sign you’re doing something valuable. Your pricing should reflect that.
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