Key Takeaways

While much of the vertical farming industry has spent the past two years wrestling with unit economics on lettuce and leafy greens, one crop category has been quietly proving that indoor farming can be genuinely, sustainably profitable. Microgreens—those tiny, vibrant seedlings harvested just days after germination—have become vertical farming’s most compelling success story, and the numbers explain why operators across the industry are paying attention.

At $25 to $50 per pound retail, with crop cycles as short as seven days and growing infrastructure far simpler than what fruiting crops or even mature lettuce demand, microgreens offer a combination of margin, speed, and accessibility that no other indoor crop can match. They’re not a niche garnish anymore—they’re a profitable crop category that’s reshaping how operators think about what to grow and why 5 High-Value Crops That Actually Make Money in Vertical Farming.

The Economics That Make Microgreens Work

The microgreen business model is fundamentally different from other indoor crops, and those differences compound in the operator’s favor at every level.

Start with cycle time. Most microgreen varieties reach harvest in 7 to 14 days—compared to 30 to 45 days for lettuce and 60 to 90 days for strawberries. That means a single growing position can produce 20 to 50 harvests per year. When you multiply that turnover rate by the per-pound pricing, the revenue per square foot per year dwarfs virtually every other indoor crop. A well-run microgreen operation can generate $200 to $400 per square foot of growing area annually, compared to $50 to $100 for lettuce operations.

Energy costs—the factor that has torpedoed so many vertical farming business models—are substantially lower for microgreens. Young seedlings require less light intensity than mature plants, with optimal DLI ranges of 6 to 12 mol/m²/day compared to 14 to 20 for head lettuce and 20 to 30 for fruiting crops. That translates directly to lower electricity bills per unit of output. The combination of higher revenue and lower energy cost per crop cycle creates margins that can absorb the overhead costs that sink operations focused exclusively on commodity greens.

Infrastructure requirements are simpler too. Microgreens grow in shallow trays on standard shelving racks—no specialized growing channels, no complex irrigation recirculation, no trellising or pollination systems. The capital expenditure per growing position is a fraction of what a lettuce NFT system or a strawberry substrate setup requires. This lower barrier to entry means operators can start small, prove their market, and scale incrementally without enormous upfront investment.

AeroFarms and the Proof of Scale

The strongest validation that microgreens can sustain a large-scale vertical farming operation comes from AeroFarms. After emerging from bankruptcy in 2023 with a dramatically refocused business model, AeroFarms pivoted hard into microgreens—and the results have been striking. The company now commands approximately 70% of the retail microgreen market, with products on shelves at Whole Foods, Costco, and other major retailers. More importantly, they’ve reported profitable quarters, a milestone that has eluded most large-scale vertical farming operations From AeroFarms to Profitability: The Turnaround Story That Could Redefine Vertical Farming.

AeroFarms’ success with microgreens illustrates a broader lesson: the vertical farming business model works when operators match their technology to crops where indoor growing provides a genuine, defensible advantage. Microgreens grown indoors are demonstrably superior to any field-grown alternative—more consistent, longer shelf life (up to 23 days with aeroponic systems that eliminate the need for washing), no pesticide exposure, and year-round availability regardless of season or geography. That product superiority justifies premium pricing in a way that indoor-grown romaine lettuce—which competes directly with inexpensive field-grown product—simply cannot.

Getting Started: Varieties, Systems, and Growing Parameters

The most popular commercial microgreen varieties balance consumer demand, ease of growing, and margin potential. Sunflower and pea shoots are the highest-volume sellers—large, flavorful, visually appealing, and forgiving to grow. Radish microgreens offer a peppery kick that chefs love. Broccoli commands premium pricing due to its association with sulforaphane, a compound linked to potential health benefits. Kale, arugula, mustard, and wheatgrass round out the standard commercial mix, each offering distinct flavor profiles and visual characteristics that support diverse product lines.

Growing systems for microgreens are remarkably straightforward compared to other indoor crops. Standard 10” x 20” trays filled with a thin layer of growing medium—coconut coir, peat moss, or hemp mats—sit on shelving racks under LED lighting. Seeds are densely sown, sometimes with pre-soaking for larger varieties like sunflower and pea. Germination typically occurs in darkness or low light for two to four days, followed by five to ten days of light exposure before harvest. Watering is usually bottom-irrigation—trays sit in shallow water reservoirs that allow roots to draw moisture upward, reducing foliar disease risk.

Light requirements are modest by indoor farming standards. A DLI of 6 to 12 mol/m²/day is sufficient for most varieties, with photoperiods of 12 to 16 hours. This means less fixture density, lower wattage, and significantly reduced electricity consumption compared to crops that require DLI values above 17. Temperature preferences are forgiving—most varieties perform well between 65°F and 75°F, well within the range of standard HVAC systems without specialized cooling infrastructure.

The Nutritional Story That Sells Itself

Microgreens aren’t just tiny versions of mature plants—they’re nutritionally distinct. Research from the USDA and the University of Maryland has documented that microgreens contain 4 to 40 times the nutrient concentration of their mature counterparts, depending on the variety and the specific nutrient measured. Red cabbage microgreens contain six times more vitamin C than mature red cabbage. Cilantro microgreens have three times the beta-carotene of mature cilantro leaves. Broccoli microgreens are particularly notable for their concentration of glucoraphanin, the precursor to sulforaphane.

This nutritional density isn’t just a marketing talking point—it’s a genuine product differentiator that creates demand among health-conscious consumers, smoothie and juice bars, wellness-focused restaurants, and increasingly, institutional buyers like hospital food services and corporate cafeterias. The story practically markets itself: a one-ounce serving of broccoli microgreens delivers more of certain key nutrients than several cups of mature broccoli. For operators, this nutritional narrative supports premium pricing and creates customer loyalty that commodity greens can’t match.

Building Your Market: From Farmers Markets to Retail Shelves

The smartest microgreen operators build their market presence in stages, and each stage serves a strategic purpose beyond just generating revenue.

Start with direct channels: farmers markets, chef relationships, and local delivery. These offer the highest per-unit margins, direct customer feedback, and the flexibility to test new varieties and packaging formats without large commitments. A single farmers market booth can validate product-market fit and generate enough revenue to fund initial scaling. Restaurant relationships are particularly valuable—chefs who fall in love with your product become advocates, and their menus serve as marketing that money can’t buy.

The second stage is regional retail. Natural food stores, co-ops, and independent grocers are typically the entry point. Packaging matters here—clamshell containers with clear branding, visible product, and nutrition callouts. Shelf life becomes critical; this is where growing methodology directly impacts business viability. Aeroponically grown microgreens that skip the washing step maintain quality for 21 to 23 days, compared to 7 to 10 for washed product. That shelf life advantage reduces retail shrink and makes store buyers far more willing to stock your product.

The third stage—major retail and food service—requires consistent volume, food safety certifications, reliable logistics, and the operational systems to manage orders at scale. This is where many small microgreen operations hit a ceiling, and it’s why the operators who invest early in production planning, quality tracking, and financial management systems have a significant advantage when the opportunity to scale arrives.

What This Means for Growers

Microgreens represent the clearest proof that vertical farming works when the crop, the market, and the economics align. They’re not the only path to profitability in indoor agriculture, but they may be the most accessible one. The combination of high margins, fast cycles, low infrastructure requirements, and genuine product superiority over field-grown alternatives creates a business model that works at nearly every scale—from a spare bedroom operation selling at weekend farmers markets to a multi-facility enterprise supplying national retailers.

For operators considering microgreens, the key is to start with market validation. Talk to chefs, visit farmers markets, understand what varieties and pack sizes your local market wants before investing in production capacity. Calculate your potential margins with free tools like AgEye’s Crop Profitability Calculator (available at ageye.tech) and build your production plan around confirmed demand Indoor Farming Crop Profitability Calculator: Know Your Numbers Before You Plant.

The microgreen opportunity is real, the market is growing, and the path from startup to scale has never been better documented. For an industry searching for sustainable business models, that’s exactly the kind of story worth telling.