How to Grow Greenhouse Vegetables for Profit

Typically, farmers and green thumbs are limited in their operations by the onset of fall and winter. Those who invest in a greenhouse to grow their vegetables have no such limitations. Selling the vegetables you grow in your greenhouse can give you a leg up on the competition by allowing you to offer customers fresh produce in the off-season. But to make vegetable selling profitable, you must turn a calculating eye to all aspects of your operation.

Step 1

Research vegetables and decide which types you will grow in your greenhouse. This requires extensive research and depends on a variety of factors, including your market, the types of vegetables in demand and how much time you have to operate the greenhouse. If possible, focus on vegetables that are unavailable in your area at certain times: Greenhouse growers have an advantage over the competition in that they can grow during the winter.

Step 2

Identify your market. A huge cost of greenhouse growing is transportation from greenhouse to market. If possible, locate your greenhouse as geographically close to main markets as possible; this will cut down on transportation costs. Assess outlets like farmer's markets that are far away to determine if the potential profits are worth the trip.

Step 3

Consider having customers come to you. If your greenhouse is in an easily accessible location and you have the time to run it as a full-time business, advertise in neighboring areas and sell produce on site. That cuts down on transportation costs and increases your profit margins.

Step 4

Focus on quality. While you have a leg up on growers who can only offer seasonal crops, customers are above all concerned with quality. A monetary investment in healthier growing techniques and better crop strains is essential to turning a profit in the long run.

Step 5

Evaluate your expenses in relation to your income. Newbies may think that their business is profitable because the year's revenue was significant, but expenses may eat into that number. Before expanding or adding to your operation, calculate how much those expenses will reduce profit margins; always be sure that you are making money.

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About the Author

Michael Batton Kaput began writing professionally in 2009. He is an editor at two magazines and a freelance writer. He has been published in "Egypt Today," Egypt's leading current affairs magazine, and "Business Today Egypt," Egypt's number one English-language business magazine. He attended Denison University where he earned a degree in political science and English literature.

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Saturday, July 6, 2013