Backyard gardening gives so much more than we give to it; there are many ways to enjoy the fruits of your labor (literally). But is there a way to make money doing it?
Growing green beans can be profitable depending on whether you intend to sell them or save on groceries. Green beans are one of the least expensive, easiest vegetables to grow. The start-up cost for growing isn’t very high, and even a bad yield could save you a few dollars at the store.
In this article, I will discuss the costs of selling green beans and the different routes you can take to sell your home crop. Additionally, I will talk about how growing green beans can save you money on your grocery bills.
Can I Make Money Growing Green Beans?
Maybe you’ve been harvesting your green beans for a while now and have gotten many compliments on the delicious, fresh taste. Or, your crop is yielding more green beans than you know what to do with. Even if you’re a beginner gardener setting out on your backyard farm, you may be wondering if making money is possible just by gardening.
You can make money growing green beans. Farmer’s markets allow backyard and big-time farmers alike to sell their crops to those interested in organic veggies. Investing in your veggie business might be slow at first but can eventually turn a profit.
And farmer’s markets aren’t the only option. If your backyard farm turns into a more extensive operation, you can make deals with local grocery stores or restaurants selling your homegrown green beans.
Anything can become a business and turn you a profit if you’re willing to put in the work to get it done. There are considerations and challenges, of course. Selling green beans won’t be worth it if you only yield a pound or two per harvest or if you don’t have anywhere to sell them. Additionally, if your green beans aren’t coming outright, you might have trouble competing at the farmer’s market.
Regardless, it is possible!
The Cost of Growing Green Beans
If looking at gardening from a business standpoint, you have to weigh out your costs before deciding whether or not something is profitable. Luckily, green beans are one of the cheapest plants to grow and usually have a pretty outstanding yield. Additionally, fresh green beans are a huge selling point. The canned and frozen kind have nothing on a fresh green bean from your garden.
To garden green beans, you’ll need:
- Space to garden (a gardening box, space in your yard, or some land)
- Seeds
- Irrigation or watering system
- Soil
- Compost and fertilizer for your soil
- Gardening tools
If you’re a gardener, you might already have quite a few of these things. You won’t need to go out and get a spade or a rake, and you probably already have compost or mulch laying around. Additionally, your irrigation and drainage system are essential parts of your garden, and you might’ve already had that long figured out.
However, if you’re just starting, these are the things you will need to consider as your “expenses.” You can go as big or as little with these as you’d like. For example, as I’ll discuss later, you can have your “watering system” be a network of irrigation sprinklers fine-tuned to turn the highest crop yield with the smallest amount of work, or it can simply be a garden can.
Time is money, too. You can hone down on your processes and save your back with the correct harvest methods. Check out this YouTube video to learn how:
The extent of the operation you wish to cultivate is up to you. Below, I’ll discuss the typical costs for your backyard gardener, who doesn’t have an acre of land to spare. You can assume that if you’re lucky enough to have a little land, you have the option to either start small as discussed or multiply your venture.
Green Bean Seeds
Green bean seeds are very inexpensive and have a reasonable germination rate. You should be able to expect about 70% of your green bean seeds to germinate and grow. That’s seven out of every ten you plant, yielding back to you green beans to harvest. On average, you’ll get three to four pounds of green beans for every 10-foot row you grow.
The packs of seeds aren’t costly, and you can usually find a seed packet to fit any budget. Dollar stores will sell packets of green beans and other plants, and though it’s hard to tell the quality of the yield or germination until you’ve planted them, they’ll at least be a good option if you’re starting with a super low budget.
Your local gardening store should have some high-quality options and give you a choice to buy in bulk. You can also buy them online if you want them delivered to your door.
Irrigation or Watering System
An irrigation or watering system is another one of those things that you can save money on or get fancy with. Some have their system professionally done, some order them online, and others make their gardening irrigation system.
This video explains how to make a drip irrigation system that is ideal for green beans:
Again, you could just use your hose or watering can and pay extra attention to how you water your green beans.
Space to Grow
If you want the complete breakdown of the expenses for profit on green beans, you have to include space. Especially if you are a seasoned gardener with other profit ventures growing from your soil, each inch of space in your garden is money.
Green beans usually need to be two inches apart from each other, with rows at least 18 inches apart. Going the pole bean route will need to be supported by stakes, trellises, or something else, which will take up a little more space.
Healthy Soil
Healthy soil sets apart wilting, hard-to-grow vegetables and vegetables that yield healthy crops. You already know how compost and mulch can change the game if you’re a pro gardener. This can be an added cost (unless you make your compost or mulch).
Checking your soil to ensure that the acidity is just right is another cost to add to your expense list. Green beans tend to like neutral or a little acidic soil, somewhere between 6.0-7.0 on the pH scale. You can get a moisture meter or have your soil tested if you’re unsure about its pH.
Additional Businesses Costs
When you’re running a business, the price of your goods is really up to you. You should consider not only the things from above that helped you grow your green beans but the things like gas, advertising, time spent at farmer’s markets, time spent talking to partners, and other “expenses” before setting your price.
If you plan on shipping your green beans to other places, this is also something that you need to consider. Though it may seem as easy as picking them and bringing them to market, there’s a lot more you need to think about before running a big business.
However, don’t let this scare you. You don’t need a new CPA or to get a bachelor’s in business or marketing to sell your green beans. If there are some great farmer’s markets around and you are interested in becoming a part of it, there’s usually a close-knit community of growers and farmers who can help you out.
The Price of Green Beans
The market price of green beans was about $0.54 a pound in 2020. This means that for every 10 lbs. you grow, you should be earning around five dollars.
If you remember the expense analysis from earlier, you may recall that a packet of green bean seeds can be as little as a dollar and that one 10-foot row yields about 3-4 lbs. of green beans. You could likely get one 10-foot row with a dollar-store seed packet. By this math, you’re doubling your investment.
Pricing your green beans will depend on where you’re selling them (which I discuss below), but you aren’t alone in that feat. You can take classes, consult with farmers, or do some observations of what your local market looks like. You can learn how to price your green beans for the farmer’s market or discuss with local grocery stores what your pricing would look like in bulk.
Working With Local Grocery Stores & Restaurants
Typically, most backyard farmers will sell their crops at the farmer’s market, partner with local groceries to get their beans in the store, or work directly with restaurants. Each of these options has its own costs and benefits to think about.
Working at the farmer’s market might be the most time-consuming, but it’s the most common, and the path is paved pretty well. Additionally, start-up costs will be pretty low, and you’ll be able to speak directly to the people who are buying your beans (and tell them why your beans are so unique!). You’ll need a car, though, and supplies for your booth at the market like signs or tables.
Working with businesses directly, like local grocery stores or restaurants, will be challenging but may take less direct time. Instead of sitting at your booth and selling, you’ll need to have some lengthy business conversations with your local grocer or restaurant supply person. These places usually have a strict set of standards they have to adhere to. They’ll also likely require a large, bulk crop.
Can I Save Money Growing Green Beans?
If you don’t mean “profit” literally and wonder if green beans would be a good plant in terms of spending less than you receive, then the answer is still yes.
You can save money by growing your green beans. Green beans are relatively inexpensive at the store, but they take little time, effort, or money to grow in your garden. Additionally, fresh and organic green beans tend to taste better and be better for you.
Green beans are cheap and easy to grow, so though it may be more convenient to buy the dollar bag of frozen green beans, it won’t be nearly as delicious. You can much easier grab a packet of green bean seeds and grow a high-yielding crop all summer long (and freeze them yourself if you want to!).
Final Thoughts
Becoming a backyard farmer opens you up to a world of possibility. Not only will you save money and make (backyard) farm-to-table meals for you and your family, you can also share the blessings with the community around you.
Whether you want to go the farmers market route or find partners within your community to buy your green beans, you can profit from your green bean sales pretty quickly. You just have to be willing to put in the time and dedication to do so!
