Microgreens Calculators
Take the guesswork out of your vertical farm. Use our suite of data-driven calculators to plan your production, understand your costs, and dial in your profit margins.
Cost Per Tray
Calculate your exact cost of goods sold (COGS) per 1020 tray, factoring in seeds, medium, electricity, and packaging.
Profit Margin
Input your selling price and total yield to determine your gross profit margins per crop type and sales channel.
Turn Your Numbers Into Real Profit
Once you’ve calculated your costs and targets, use our verified field benchmarks and sales blueprints to maximize farm revenue.
Sales & Channels
How to Sell Microgreens
Learn how to pitch high-end chefs, price live vs. cut clamshells, secure standing weekly orders, and market at farmers markets for maximum revenue.
How to Use Our Microgreens Calculators to Scale
Running a profitable vertical microgreens farm requires connecting your input costs, selling prices, and tray capacity together. Follow this 3-step economic model:
Calculate True Unit Cost
Never guess what a tray costs to grow. Use our Cost Per Tray Calculator to factor in seed grams, soil or coco coir substrate, electricity kilowatt-hours, and clamshell packaging down to the cent.
Dial in Your Gross Margins
Wholesale restaurants pay differently than farmers market shoppers. Input your selling price and yield into our Profit Margin Calculator to set minimum viable prices that maintain 70% to 85% gross margins.
Map Succession Planting
Turning a steady weekly profit requires consistent harvest turns. Use our Production Planner to stagger sowing dates and shelf space so you never overproduce or leave standing orders unfulfilled.
Commercial Microgreens Production Benchmarks
Validate your microgreens calculator outputs against tested 1020 tray industry data for the most popular commercial varieties:
| Crop Variety | Grow Cycle | Avg 1020 Yield | Est. Unit Cost | Wholesale Revenue | Gross Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunflower Shoots | 10 – 13 Days | 14 – 22 oz | $3.20 – $3.80 | $25.00 – $32.00 | 85% – 88% |
| Pea Microgreens | 9 – 12 Days | 16 – 24 oz | $2.90 – $3.40 | $24.00 – $30.00 | 86% – 89% |
| Radish Microgreens | 7 – 10 Days | 18 – 28 oz | $2.10 – $2.50 | $26.00 – $34.00 | 90% – 93% |
| Broccoli Microgreens | 8 – 12 Days | 8 – 14 oz | $1.90 – $2.40 | $22.00 – $28.00 | 89% – 92% |
Explore detailed harvest tables across 15+ crops in our Microgreens Yield Per Tray Benchmark Guide.
Microgreens Calculators & Farm Economics FAQ
Common financial and operational questions answered with commercial farming data.
How accurate are these microgreens calculators for my farm?
Our calculators allow you to input your exact localized figures — including your actual seed cost per pound, soil medium price, kilowatt-hour electric rates, and packaging costs. Research from Penn State Extension demonstrates that precise unit-cost tracking is the single strongest predictor of enterprise profitability for small-scale specialty crop producers.
What is the average cost to produce one 1020 tray of microgreens?
Across commercial vertical farms, standard direct production costs (seed, substrate, electricity, water, and packaging) typically range between $1.80 and $3.80 per 1020 tray. Small brassica crops like broccoli and cabbage sit near the lower end (~$1.90/tray), while large seed crops like sunflower and pea sit near $3.20 to $3.50. Calculate your specific numbers in the Cost Per Tray Calculator.
What is a healthy gross profit margin for vertical microgreens farming?
Healthy commercial microgreens operations maintain 75% to 90% gross margins on wholesale restaurant sales, and 85% to 92% gross margins on direct-to-consumer farmers market or subscription retail sales. Farm business benchmarks published by the Cornell University Small Farms Program emphasize that high turnover crops with short 7-to-12 day cycles allow indoor farms to achieve multiple harvest turns per rack level each month.
How many 1020 trays do I need to harvest to make $1,000 per week?
At an average wholesale selling price of $25 per tray and a net profit of ~$21 per tray, an indoor grower needs to harvest approximately 45 to 50 trays per week to generate $1,000 in net profit. On standard 4-tier wire shelving racks (each shelf holding 4 trays), you can maintain this volume on just 3 to 4 wire shelving units. Use our Production Planner to map out your weekly rack capacity.