I get this comment at the farmers market about once a month. Someone picks up a two-ounce clamshell of our sunflower microgreens, sees the $4 price tag, does the mental math, and says something like: "That is $32 a pound. I could grow these myself for almost nothing."

They are right about the first part. On a per-pound basis, microgreens are expensive. They are wrong about the second part, though, and I say that without judgment because I thought the same thing before I started growing commercially. The "almost nothing" part does not hold up once you account for every actual cost.

This is our second Ask the Farmer post, and I want to do something uncomfortable: show you exactly what each tray of microgreens costs us to produce. Every line item. Full transparency.

What Does It Actually Cost to Grow a Tray of Microgreens?

A standard 10x20-inch tray of microgreens costs us between $5.25 and $11.50 to produce, depending on the variety. That tray yields 4 to 8 ounces of finished product. Here is the breakdown, using sunflower microgreens — our most popular variety — as the example.

Seeds: $3.00 to $8.00 per tray

This is the cost that surprises people most. A single tray of sunflower microgreens requires approximately 1.5 to 2 ounces of seed. We buy in bulk — 25 to 50 pound bags — and still pay $4 to $6 per tray for sunflower seed. Pea shoots are similar. Broccoli and radish are cheaper at $3 to $4 per tray because they are smaller seeds used at lower density. But some specialty varieties like basil microgreens can run $6 to $8 per tray in seed cost alone.

Organic, untreated seed costs more than conventional. We use organic seed exclusively because our customers expect it and because it matters.

Growing medium: $0.50 to $1.00 per tray

We use coconut coir, which we buy in compressed bricks and rehydrate. Each tray uses about one to two inches of medium. At bulk prices, that works out to roughly 50 to 75 cents per tray. Some growers use peat moss or hemp mats, which run slightly higher.

Water and electricity: $0.25 to $0.50 per tray

This is the smallest line item but it is real. Our LED lights run 16 hours a day. Fans run continuously. We use filtered water. Per tray over a 7 to 12 day growing cycle, the utility cost is modest but nonzero. We calculated this by dividing our monthly utility increase (from pre-grow-room baseline) by the number of trays produced that month.

Packaging: $0.50 to $1.50 per unit

We use compostable clamshell containers for our retail units. These cost more than standard plastic — about $0.75 to $1.25 each depending on size. Add a printed label at $0.15 to $0.25 each. Packaging is a cost that home growers never think about but commercial growers cannot avoid.

Labor: $1.50 to $3.00 per tray (and this is the big one)

Here is where the economics get real. Each tray requires handling at multiple stages over its lifecycle:

Soaking seeds (some varieties require 8-12 hours of pre-soak): 2-3 minutes per tray
Filling trays with medium: 2-3 minutes
Seeding: 3-5 minutes
Daily watering and inspection during growing cycle (7-12 days): 1-2 minutes per tray per day
Harvesting: 5-8 minutes per tray (hand-cut with a sharp knife, carefully)
Weighing, packaging, and labeling: 3-5 minutes per tray
Cleanup and tray sanitation: 2-3 minutes

Total labor per tray runs 25 to 40 minutes spread across the lifecycle. Even at a modest $15 per hour, that is $6.25 to $10 in labor per tray. We absorb much of this as owner-operator labor — meaning we do not pay ourselves that rate yet — so the effective labor cost I listed above reflects our current reality, not what it should be.

When I say labor is the biggest cost, I mean it dwarfs everything else. And it is the cost that people who say "I could grow these for almost nothing" consistently forget to count. Your time has value, even when you are not writing yourself a check.

So What Does a Tray Actually Cost?

Cost Category	Low End	High End
Seeds	$3.00	$8.00
Growing medium	$0.50	$1.00
Water / electricity	$0.25	$0.50
Packaging	$0.50	$1.50
Labor (understated)	$1.50	$3.00
Total per tray	$5.75	$14.00
Yield per tray	4-8 oz

A tray that costs us $7 to produce and yields 6 ounces of microgreens works out to about $1.17 per ounce in production cost. We sell a 2-ounce clamshell for $4, which means our gross margin is about $1.66 per unit — before we account for market fees ($25-50 per market day), transportation, insurance, and business overhead. The margin is thinner than people assume.

How Do Microgreens Compare to Other Specialty Produce?

On a per-pound basis, $20 to $30 for microgreens sounds steep until you compare it to other specialty and value-dense produce. Saffron runs $500 to $5,000 per pound. Fresh herbs at the grocery store — that little plastic clamshell of basil — typically work out to $40 to $80 per pound. Pine nuts are $20 to $30 per pound. High-quality sprouts are $8 to $16 per pound, and they require less labor than microgreens because there is no growing medium, no individual tray management, and no precision harvesting.

Microgreens sit in the specialty produce category alongside fresh herbs, and the pricing is comparable when you account for the labor intensity and short shelf life.

What About the "I Can Grow Them Cheaper at Home" Argument?

You absolutely can grow microgreens at home for less than you would pay a farmer. If you value your time at zero and already own trays and lights, your per-tray cost is basically seeds and medium — maybe $4 to $9 per tray. That is a real savings. I encourage it. We have written guides to help you do exactly that.

But most people who try it for a few weeks discover a few things. The daily watering and monitoring is a genuine commitment. The harvest timing window is tight — one day too late and quality drops noticeably. Mold happens, especially in humid climates, and a lost tray is a lost tray. And the varieties with the highest seed costs (sunflower, pea shoot) are usually the ones people like most.

What you are paying a microgreen grower for is not just the product. You are paying for consistency, food safety, variety rotation, and the absorption of risk and labor. The same thing you pay any farmer for, really.

I am not defensive about our pricing. I am proud of it. Every dollar reflects real cost, real labor, and real care. And honestly, at current margins, we are not getting rich. We are building something sustainable, one tray at a time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are microgreens more expensive than regular salad greens?

Microgreens require more labor per ounce than any other salad product. Each tray is hand-seeded, monitored daily for 7 to 12 days, hand-harvested with precision, and individually packaged. The yield per tray is only 4 to 8 ounces, and seed costs for varieties like sunflower and pea shoot run $4 to $6 per tray. The labor intensity and low yield per unit area drive the price.

Can I grow microgreens cheaper at home than buying them?

Yes, if you do not count your labor. Home growing eliminates packaging costs and commercial overhead. Your material cost will be roughly $4 to $9 per tray for seeds and growing medium. However, each tray requires 25 to 40 minutes of attention spread across its lifecycle, and mold or failed trays represent lost investment with no backup supply.

What is the profit margin on microgreens?

Margins are thinner than most people assume. After accounting for seeds, growing medium, utilities, packaging, labor, market fees, transportation, and insurance, net margins for small-scale microgreen growers typically run 15% to 30%. Owner-operator labor is often undercompensated in these calculations, meaning true margins may be even lower.

Are farm-direct microgreens worth the premium over grocery store microgreens?

Farm-direct microgreens are typically harvested within 24 hours of sale, compared to grocery store microgreens that may be 3 to 7 days post-harvest. Freshness directly affects both nutrition (studies show nutrient degradation begins immediately after cutting) and shelf life. Farm-direct greens also offer variety — most grocery stores stock only one or two types — and you can talk to the person who grew them about their practices.