Microgreens to Moolah 

Josh, Thank you for being REAL about the numbers and breaking it down. I'm so tired of channels over hyping the money they make on microgreens. And love how clean and organized your place is. Inspiring! New subscriber here and keep em coming.

great video, many thanks The term you were looking for towards the end of the video is contribution margin. very important number for farmers. "Contribution margin, or dollar contribution per unit, is the selling price per unit minus the variable cost per unit. "Contribution" represents the portion of sales revenue that is not consumed by variable costs and so contributes to the coverage of fixed costs. This concept is one of the key building blocks of break-even analysis."

Great video Josh ! Thanks for your honesty and transparency. Despite all of the challenges of growing food, growing is often the easy part, marketing and selling can be the biggest challenge.

Love how you described overhead, I feel like lots of people don't think of that.

Way to break it down!!! Thanks Josh, I have a rack ready to go and found your channel. Great info you helped clear up many questions I had.

I gotta say your videos feel quicker and more informative than all the other videos I've watched on Microgreens. I love it! I learn a ton, and you seem so honest and wise with your current practices and your expectations. Thank you for your time and effort, and allowing all of us to benefit!

Hey there big fella! I just found and subscribed to your channel. There are some great videos on converting regular fluorescent shop lights to LED. You bypass the ballast. Make sure you buy "single-ended" tubes. You may need to convert the "tombstones" but I found a 50 pack online for about 6 bucks. This is an excellent video. I have learned more from your channel in the last 24 hours than the last month of watching about all other microgreens. Good job and Merry Christmas!

Knoxville would be a great place for this, thousands of restaurants.

Nice job on this video. As a fellow grower this is very realistic.

For someone about to start selling this is great thanks man

Great info and presentation, thanks Josh!

That was a very detailed and comprehensive analysis. Thanks for sharing. Your videos are always interesting. One thing you didn't say was you need to be the right kind of person to make a business out of this. Too often people are enthusiastic and well-intentioned but aren't prepared to commit the time and labor-not just the growing but the background research. You've done a great job so far of showing the background of what really goes into your business and what is necessary for success. Beyond the basics of a steady market and a good product, the reason for your success is you. You're a dedicated, precise, well-considered person who keeps his promises and that's the real reason you've done well. This is no get-rich-quick-with-no-effort endeavor and unless one is prepared to be hardworking and consistent it's unlikely they'll profit from it.

Josh I just love your video's and garden space. I used to live in the Hickory area of NC, I do miss growing there. Here in Az has been great learning to grow!

Thanks for the seed amount and cost break down. Very helpful!

The main point is "can you sell them?" Great video! Thanks for the info. I have been able to only sell a small amount of pea shoots at my farmers market. I will be looking for restaurant customers soon.

Super helpful video, Josh! Great info.

Hey Josh..... really appreciate all your work, both here online and with the gardens, community, education and the development efforts in entrepreneurial activity....... In the realm of cost accounting, the term you were looking for is “gross variable profit” and is a scope of criteria, minus a scope of known criteria and leading toward a “general idea” of what an endeavor might cost and then benefit as part of determining whether going forward looks like a good idea or otherwise....... Nice work on your part and clearly leaves many particulars open to be included as these insights are available and applied with different contexts in mind.

Going with LED lights would be a good idea long term especially since florescent lights lose their usable spectrum after a year or so . Just a thought but you probably already know this . Great info 👍

Thank you Josh, for putting out these informative videos. Very much appreciated! I conversed briefly with you via your live Q&A, in regards to high Brix, nutrient dense foods. I’d enjoy talking with you more on the subject in the future, if interested. I’m sincerely trying to be food-independent, as well as financially independent, sustained solely by efforts done on the “home stead”. I believe the world is moving toward “high Brix nutrient dense” foods, as more information comes forth about deceptions within the “organic” food industries. Therefore, my focus is presently on repeatable systems and practices to produce the highest quality produce, in a “crawl before you run” process. I make decent money doing construction, property maintenance, handyman work, that I can’t see a present agricultural system even coming close to. I’m trying to figure out how to span that gap. Presently, I’m working on producing the highest quality (beyond) organic eggs with a small flock of organic chickens. I’d love to send you a sample in the near future as they begin to lay. I’ve had high quality eggs from a woman that pointed me toward high Brix growing and practices several years ago, and I’ve never found eggs any where near the quality of hers. Quick tip to folks: soft rock phosphate - incorporated into everything.

Super informative video. I love how you present all aspects of growing product. Thanks so much for sharing! Will have to watch it again and make notes :)

I started a few treys last winter. I have a few lights so far.

I just found your channel! New sub here from Mebane! Hi neighbor! Enjoying the information you're sharing! I just started my own homestead and channel too!

This is a fantastic, informative video! Keep it up my man!

Josh.. spent some time on your vids for micro greens. great videos. good start, but yes, oh the labor and time spent on finding the clients, inventory, and delivery costs, oh wow. thanks for the good info.

Excellent Video! Very informative and you did a great job! Codo!!!!

Thanks for the info Josh. Alot of good points for sure. Another awesome vid.

This is super helpful; thanks! I actually live in Raleigh and am working on starting a suburban farm in a context very similar to yours (although my model focuses mostly on chickens). I'm considering adding microgreens, but wasn't really sure about prices and such. Since I'm in the same context as you, your costs/prices will be similar to mine. It's encouraging to see! Thank you!

Very informative information... As someone who used to grow indoors, and I’m in a good market, Toronto Ontario, that’s a compelling crop for me to think about. Although your soil cost is pretty low, you could also reuse your soil, by mixing in compost to the used soil, watering with compost tea, liquid fish emulsion and liquid seaweed to restore fertility. Micro sprouts require very little as a lot of the nutrients and energy already come from the seed itself. Cheers.

Super informative! Thanks for sharing some realistic figures!

thank you for all the specifics 👍👍👍

Great info, thanks! Finding customers is the key.

I've been growing purslane as a microgreen. It's really delicious and super easy and grows fairly fast in good light. Also, the sun/heat doesn't kill it in my area so I can do it without an indoor growing environment.

Great video - was looking for this exact information. Thanks a bunch

Another great video, Josh. Thanks! While not terribly significant, an added expense against sunflower profitability is the cost of water and electricity to wash and dry them and the additional setup costs of a washing station. Perhaps something for new growers to consider in their selections.

Thank you for all those figures. One thing that one can get from this also is the reverse of the 'profit' motivation! That's to say; how much for initial setup (minus the equipment) of free-bees and samples! As these are given out the cost of delivery or market setup can be construed.

Holy shit. Thanks for breaking that all down.

Great video Josh!

Thank you for the information, appreciate your time and transparency!!

Really useful video for me. thank you will subscribe and like. Will be starting growing some micro green this week, I am really excited. Going at it initially with the mindset of I will start with one rack and grow mostly for myself to eat with a few to try and sell .

Great video and it’s nice you are teaching ppl , for a first time beginning , can you please make a video with complete investment to start a business from Small scale

Thanks for sharing Josh! Very cool.

Fantastic video very informative, I am really digging growing microgreens for my family and I kinda want to give the next big step so this helps alot!

Awesome, awesome information very excited that you are doing a whole series on microgreens. How do you sell microgreens to your customers? Let's say they've never heard of microgreens. How do you educate them on what they are and how much better they are and etc?

Now this is KEEPING IT REAL! 👍🏼👍🏼

Tried to go to your website - appears to be down. Great videos! I am in your area - Chatham County

Thank you for verbalizing my biggest fear. Numbers are a great and exciting, but it only counts if you can sell it :)

The only way I sell out is with restaurants... at wholesale. Averages net 8$ per tray.

I'm guessing the term is "gross profit" on the way to "net profit" after subtracting all expenses.

Check your math on the green pea profit. I got 12.94 per tray using your numbers. Not a big difference just happened to notice when I was comparing my numbers. Love your videos. Cheers.

Thanks for keeping it real Josh

Excellent video, thanks! I am doing trials right now on these exact microgreens thanks to watching your videos! This is really helpful! Also, I didn't realize you had 4 bulbs on each rack -- I'm thinking that's making a difference since I only have two bulbs and I feel like they could use more light.

Awesome video

Excellent as always Josh, btw, you're letting your customers know your profit margins, LOL But your products are stellar!!! I'm just going to grow for personal use. Thanks so much!!! #knowyourfood #knowyourfarmer #buylocal BTW do you recycle the soil after harvest or does it go in the compost?

Dude I've caught so much crap from the guys in big cities for undervaluing the product. I sell my sunnies for $1 an oz. Usually yield 28oz per tray. Good to know I'm not the only one charging reasonable prices for a (niche) product!

way to break it down ... and without mansplaining LOVE YOUR CHANNEL

I understand. Thanks for sharing

great job... gives us metrics to go by...

Thank you for sharing the truth

Even just for your family's eating needs it seems worth the small investment. It would be something you can do on a very small scale in your own kitchen if you just want to eat healthy.

Did you ever struggled with any mold or bacteria with the micro greens, if so what did you do to prevent it?

Thank you!

Great vid, thanks for sharing!

I am slowly moving to doing a lot of back yard homesteading, and this type of thing is on my radar. the biggest problem in it for me is just how to go about finding places to sell it off. sure i have lots of farmers markets around me(live outside Pittsburgh PA), but thats generally only in the summer/fall. how does one get into selling to local stores(places like Giant Eagle, Shop N' Save, and so on in my area), and to restaurants... do you just cold call them or what. I guess not just a microgreens thing, but homestead farming in general. from fruits and veggies, down to eggs.

Need a Q&A on this .... Please !

Hey Josh, you mention using bags for your product rather than clamshells. Which bags do you use?

I was wondering what you use for trays ? You say 4 trays is 8 sq ft so you are not using 1020 size flats. Is there a standard size for growing microgreens ? Growers on youtube talk about yield per tray but are they all using the same size tray ? And thanks for sharing your own bottom line ... was very helpful.

Good video as usual again josh. Have you had any issues selling your micro greens in our area to restaurants? Is there one type of restaurant over another that you’ve found that will buy them? ((Chinese vs Thai vs Steakhouse, etc) I know I’m not in your immediate area but do you see plenty of demand in our area for micrgreens yet or are there enough growers growing them in this area?? I’m just west of you about 25 miles or so up 40, south of Burlington about 8 miles. I’m halfway between Durham and Greensboro. There is a lady in the Concorde area that has been doing micrgreens for 9 years and they call her the microgreen Queen and has been very successful with it. Maybe you and I could make an afternoon road trip down to see her operation and pick up some tips from the Queen herself, lol. One of her biggest sellers has been cilantro and she actually leaves the seed hull attached to the sprout cause the restaurants love the texture it provides. I’ve been trying to figure out if micro greens would be a beneficial crop for my farm or not. I need something to help get me thru the winter cause now the melons are all gone, green beans are starting to come in this weekend, still have okra, tomatoes are slowing, sunflowers are bout gone, etc. waiting for the collards and kale to be big enough to transplant, and waiting for Dorian to pass before sowing beets, turnips, and setting out cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels Sprout transplants and all my lettuce and spinach and I’m looking for a pretty quick crop that will cover the voids of while I’m waiting on all the other fall crops to mature and then I need something for over winter and the microgreens may just be the perfect thing. Thank you for all the info josh, I really appreciate it Josh! Take care buddy

The thing is scaring me like hell is about selling.... and im from Europe ....where can sell it to restaurants ....make a contract with...?

Thanks for the break down. By the way where are you in NC? I live in Greensboro, I’d like to tour your garden some day and pickup some ideas. Thanks

The next question is how can you find a wider market so you only grow sunflower micros.. would you try it? very good video!

I’ve been looking to see if someone in micro greens will explain what they do with the flats after harvest. Do you just compost? Could you use that compost as soil and put it back in the trays? (Once fully composted). Curious.

Gotta cover those light bulbs!!!!

What size bags do you use to sell your micro greens? How many ounces do you put in each bag?

How do you advertise? Or what is your process to attract new customers?

Also, how long did it take you, within your context, to recoup the cost of those shelves?

I wish I could LOVE the video. You F*€KING AWESOME!!! Thank You.

Am I understanding this correctly, you're growing broccoli micros in just seven days? I grow mine to fourteen which also only yields about a half pound, but my seeding density is a few grams less. As always, thanks for sharing your videos!

What are the Regulations for selling Micro greens in N.C.???

Hi Is there need for special temperature, airflow or humidity for microgreens

Great video and thank you for sharing! I want to be able to set up microgreens trays for one person, and my space is limited. Any recommendation I how to build this in a small scale?5. Thanks in advance. :)

Hi Josh, the plastic bags you use as packaging. What is the search term I can google to find something similar in the uk? I have been looking but not had much luck

Josh, Great video. With the soil which sun grow soil mux number do you use seems like they have so many different mixes.

Hey, what would you say is the perfect climate for microgreens? Especially temperature and humidity? Thank you!

I wonder if it’s profitable In South Florida..

Gr8 video

Just wondering if you're still selling microgreens, and how is it going?

Fantastic video! Where did you purchase your flats? Are they special purpose flats?

Hey! I'm in new hannover county!!! What part of nc you in??????

How do you know if there are a lot of pearled growing micro greens in your area? going to places and just asking them Or is there somewhere you can look online ?

How many hours per week would you say that you spend on all of this?

josh.. pull the string... look into quantum boards. you will almost cut your electricity costs in half.

How many restaurants for 1 rack -approx.?

Thanks for the honest numbers. How much time do you have daily in per rack?

Hey there, do you ever have visitations? I live in Northern Virginia and would love to make the trip down to see this in person.

a beard man who know expert on farming & making money.. that's sexy!

Great video! New sub here!

Where cod you get trays from

Do you have a minimum amount you sell to restaurants?

Josh, do you use your potting soil more than once?

Hi! New subscriber here! First video I watched but recently reseaching about growing microgreens. Thanks for discussing about costing. It’s really helpful. Just wondering if you deliver for free? If so, do you factor that in as part of your cost?