Buckwheat

Fagopyrum esculentum Moench GRIN 16528

grainannual

Buckwheat is a short-season annual grain well-suited to Zones 3-11, used for grain, cover crop, or pollinator forage. Cool summer nights and avoidance of late frost favor it; grows on moderate-fertility soils and smothers weeds effectively.

25/30

Crop Snowflake Score

Gross Revenue

$465

/acre

Net Return

$75

/acre

Price Trend

stable

Establishment Cost

$60

/acre

Crop Insurance

Available

Years to Production

years

Overview

Growing Season

Plant: Mid-June to mid-July (delay planting in cooler regions until soil warms) – Mid-June to mid-July (delay planting in cooler regions until soil warms)
Harvest: 10-12 weeks post-planting (~early-mid Sep) – 10-12 weeks post-planting (~early-mid Sep)
Frost-free days: 70+
GDD (base 50°F): 1,300

Yield

Typical yield: 15 bu/acre
Productive lifespan: 1 years
Labor: 5 hrs/acre

95%

Market Fit

4/6

Active Regional Buyers

2 active buyers on record purchasing this crop.

Price Trend Stable/Up

3-year price trend recorded as "stable".

Supply Below Demand

Priced on national grain markets where supply is well established, leaving little regional headroom regardless of local channel strength (1 of 6 channels rate "strong").

Multiple Buyer Channels

4 of 6 documented market channels rate viable or better (wholesale, direct_to_consumer, retail, restaurant). Multiple independent routes to market.

Value-Added Potential

2 viable direct-market channels (direct_to_consumer, restaurant). Supports value-added and margin capture beyond wholesale.

Market Growth Projected

Mature grain market; growth over a 5-year horizon is expected to track population rather than outpace it.

Market Channels

wholesale · The primary commercial channel for buckwheat grain is wholesale to specialty millers and food-grade processors (e.g., soba, groats, flour, pancake mix). Contract pricing with a dedicated buyer is common because the US crop is small relative to wheat/corn and commodity elevators often do not handle it.

direct_to_consumer · On-farm sales of whole groats, stone-ground flour, and kasha to health-food and gluten-free consumers can capture substantial price premiums. Requires on-farm cleaning, dehulling, and often milling infrastructure — a meaningful capital investment.

retail · Small-batch buckwheat flour, groats, and pancake mixes sell well through food co-ops, natural-food stores, and farm-to-retail programs. Labeling (organic, gluten-free, single-origin) supports retail premiums. Requires consistent quality and packaged-goods compliance.

restaurant · Craft bakeries, soba noodle makers, and farm-to-table restaurants are growing buyers of locally grown buckwheat, particularly freshly milled flour. Volumes are modest but margins are strong; personal relationships with chefs drive the channel.

csa · Buckwheat is not a typical CSA item but can be included as a value-added staple (flour, groats) in grain-focused CSAs or as an occasional add-on. Total volume moved this way is small.

farmers_market · Direct sales of packaged buckwheat flour and groats at farmers markets are feasible but move modest volumes. Works best alongside other value-added grain products (cornmeal, oats, rye flour).

Climate Fit

6/6

Hardiness Zone Match

Crop tolerates zones 3-11; region spans 5-6. Overlaps.

GDD Sufficient

Crop needs 1300 GDD (base 50F); region accumulates 2500+. Sufficient.

Precipitation Compatible

Crop needs ~10 in; region receives ~38 in/yr. Compatible, irrigation available as supplement.

Frost-Free Season OK

Crop needs 70 frost-free days; region provides ~180. Sufficient.

Chill Hours Met

Not applicable — annual crop has no winter chill requirement.

Climate Trend Favorable

Crop spans 9 hardiness zones (3-11). Wide adaptive range buffers against warming trend.

Fit by region

The farm matcher, run on each region's cited climate normals. Soil and site are not included here; add your own on the match page.

Match your farm

Finger Lakeszone 5b/6a · 2,200 GDD · 145 frost-free days · 38.29" rain

No limiting condition found. 5 criteria evaluated; 100% cited.

Strong fit

100/100

Heat accumulation (GDD base 50F)Frost-free seasonRainfallHigh-severity risksKnown buyers

Lake Erie Concord Grape Beltzone 6a/6b/7a · 2,923 GDD · 185 frost-free days · 41.09" rain

No limiting condition found. 5 criteria evaluated; 100% cited.

Strong fit

100/100

Heat accumulation (GDD base 50F)Frost-free seasonRainfallHigh-severity risksKnown buyers

Chautauqua Uplands (Allegheny Plateau)zone 6a · 2,364 GDD · 158 frost-free days · 45.93" rain

No limiting condition found. 5 criteria evaluated; 100% cited.

Strong fit

100/100

Heat accumulation (GDD base 50F)Frost-free seasonRainfallHigh-severity risksKnown buyers

Climate envelope & site

What the farm matcher compares your conditions against.

Climate envelope

Hardiness zone: n/a
Frost-free season: 70+ days
Heat (GDD base 50°F): 1,300+
Winter chill: n/a
Rainfall: 27.6–51.2 in/yr
Below the minimum, irrigation is needed; above the maximum the crop fails.
Soil pH target: 5.4–7.0
Extension lime target; within 1.0 of it is correctable.

Site & structure

Spring frost at bloom: n/a
Needs cold-air drainage: n/a
Shade tolerance: none — full sun
Mature height: not yet recorded
Rooting depth: not yet recorded
Wind exposure tolerance: not yet recorded
Workable slope: not yet recorded

Height, rooting depth and shade tolerance are the inputs an alley or guild layout needs.

Soil Compatibility

Soil Texture

loam (ideal)sandy_loam (ideal)silt_loam (ideal)loamy_sand (suitable)clay_loam (suitable)sand (suitable)silty_clay_loam (marginal)clay (marginal)sandy_clay_loam (suitable)silty_clay (marginal)

Drainage

well_drained (ideal)moderately_well_drained (ideal)somewhat_excessively_drained (suitable)excessively_drained (suitable)somewhat_poorly_drained (marginal)poorly_drained (marginal)very_poorly_drained (poor)

Infrastructure Fit

4/6

Equipment Compatible

3 of 10 documented equipment items are crop-specific (30%) against a catalog median of 29%. Above-median share of purpose-built equipment, implying real capital outlay.

Storage Available

2 documented storage routes; at least one (Grain bin (on-farm)) is reachable with conventional on-farm or third-party facilities.

Irrigation Compatible

Requires ~10 in. Deliverable with conventional drip or overhead irrigation.

Field Layout Suitable

Grain crops need large contiguous acreage to be economic; the region's parcels are typically small and fragmented by topography.

Labor Availability

5 labor hr/ac vs catalog 75th percentile 250 hr/ac. Manageable with typical farm labor.

Processing Proximity

2 processor/cooperative buyers on record for this crop, 1 within NY/PA/OH.

Equipment Requirements

planting

Utility Tractor (60-100 HP)Required

Buckwheat is typically grown on smaller specialty acreage and the existing farm tractor handles all field operations. Sized to pull a 10-15 ft drill or 12-15 ft cultivator.

$45,000

Grain Drill (10-15 ft, 7-inch spacing)Required

Standard small-grain drill for seeding 30-50 lb/acre at 1-1.5 inch depth. Buckwheat tolerates broadcast seeding with light incorporation as a fallback if no drill is available.

$22,000

Field CultivatorRequired

Light secondary tillage to prepare seedbed. Buckwheat does not require deep or aggressive tillage and grows well on minimally prepared ground after a small grain or vegetable crop.

$12,000

spraying

Pull-Type Sprayer (200-300 gal, 30-40 ft boom)Optional

Few herbicides are labeled on buckwheat — most growers rely on competitive canopy and rotation. Sprayer is mainly used for pre-plant burndown and post-harvest volunteer control.

$12,000

harvesting

Combine with Small Grain HeaderRequired

Standard combine setup with cylinder speed reduced (300-400 rpm) and concave opened to avoid cracking the soft hull. Custom harvest common at small acreages. Used or shared combines fit most operations.

$175,000

Swather / WindrowerOptional Specialized

Optional pre-harvest tool — buckwheat ripens unevenly and windrowing at 75-80% brown seed allows uniform dry-down before pickup combining. Reduces shatter losses but adds a pass.

$35,000

post_harvest

Aeration Bin / Drying Floor (1000-2000 bu)Required

Buckwheat is harvested at 16-20% moisture and must be dried to 13% for storage. Low-temperature aeration drying preserves the soft hull and seed coat appearance critical for food markets.

$8,000

Seed Cleaner / Gravity TableOptional Specialized

For growers selling food-grade or seed-grade lots — removes weed seed, shrunken kernels, and chaff. Most buyers clean grain on intake, but on-farm cleaning captures cleanout discounts.

$14,000

Bagger or Tote Filler (specialty markets)Optional Specialized

For direct-market specialty buckwheat (organic mills, soba flour, groats). 1-ton totes or 50-lb bags for retail. Bulk delivery to commodity buyers does not require bagging.

$6,000

general

Bird Deterrence EquipmentOptional

Propane cannons, reflective tape, hawk kites for fields with high bird pressure (small fields near woodlots/wetlands). Effectiveness wanes after a few weeks; rotate methods.

$1,500

Storage Requirements

Grain bin (on-farm)

Temperature

35–50°F

Max Storage

365 days

Long-term dry storage

Temperature

32–40°F

Max Storage

540 days

Financial Return

5/6

Revenue Above Average

Gross revenue $465/ac vs catalog median $6,000/ac. Below median.

Input Costs Acceptable

Total input cost $188/ac vs catalog 75th percentile $6,300/ac. Within typical range.

Payback Period OK

Reaches full production in 0 years. Acceptable payback.

Insurance Available

Federal crop insurance or an equivalent risk product is available.

Revenue Per Labor Hour

Net return per labor hour $15.00 ($75/ac over 5 hr/ac) vs catalog median $13.16. Above median.

Grants/Subsidies

Commonly funded as a cover crop under NRCS EQIP/CSP practice payments.

Economics Breakdown

Avg Price/Unit	$0/$/lb
Gross Revenue/Acre	$465
Annual Operating Cost	$60/acre
Establishment Cost	$60/acre
Total Input Cost	$188/acre
Net Return/Acre	$75
Revenue/Labor Hour	$93
Crop Insurance	Available
Subsidies	NAP (catastrophic coverage at no cost, buy-up available)

Source: Cornell Small Grains Project; Penn State Agricultural Alternatives — Buckwheat | Original price_unit was "lb (2025 NY contract)"; the parenthetical contained region-specific context ("NY contract") which violated region-neutral content guideline — context preserved here in data_source while price_unit normalized to $/lb. (2025)

Risk Profile

6/6

Manageable Pest/Disease

3 of 10 documented risks are high-severity (30%) against a catalog median of 36%. Risk load is manageable by conventional IPM.

Market Diversified

4 viable market channels of 6 documented, plus 2 named buyers. Not dependent on a single outlet.

Low Establishment Risk

0 years to full production at $60/ac establishment cost. Low establishment exposure.

Climate Resilient

Tolerates zones 3-11 (9 zones). Broad tolerance indicates resilience to seasonal variability.

Regulatory Burden Low

No crop-specific licensing or reporting regime beyond standard food-safety and pesticide rules.

Diversifies Portfolio

Adds a grain revenue stream distinct from the region's grape-dominated base.

Known Risks

disease

Sclerotinia Stem Rot / White Mold (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum)moderate

Soil-borne fungal disease causing stem lesions and lodging during flowering and grain fill. Buckwheat is susceptible especially in rotations following soybean, dry bean, or sunflower (other Sclerotinia hosts).

Damping-Off (Pythium, Rhizoctonia, Fusarium)low

Seedling diseases causing poor emergence in cold, wet soils. Most damaging when buckwheat is planted too early or into compacted, water-logged ground.

pest

Volunteer Buckwheat as a Weed in Subsequent Cropshigh

Hard, dormant seed shatters readily before and during harvest and germinates as a difficult weed in following crops. Particularly problematic in sensitive food crops where buckwheat residue creates allergen contamination and contract rejection risks.

Aphids and Tarnished Plant Buglow

Sucking insects that feed on flowers and developing seeds, sometimes reducing seed set. Generally do not reach economic thresholds in buckwheat under normal conditions.

Bird Damage at Maturitymoderate

Songbirds and blackbirds heavily feed on buckwheat heads as seed matures, especially in small fields adjacent to woodlots or wetlands. Losses of 20-40% are documented in vulnerable fields.

weather

Heat and Drought Stress During Floweringhigh

Temperatures exceeding 90°F during the 4-6 week bloom period cause flower drop and reduced seed set. Buckwheat flowers indeterminately, so a single hot stretch can knock out a major fraction of seed-bearing potential.

Frost Damage at Either End of Seasonhigh

Buckwheat is killed outright by even a light frost (32°F). Both early planting (spring frost) and late maturity (fall frost) windows are tight, leaving little flexibility for delays.

Lodging in Heavy Rain or Windmoderate

Buckwheat has a hollow, succulent stem that lodges readily under storms during grain fill. Lodged crops are difficult to combine and increase shatter losses.

market

Specialty Market Concentration and Contract Specsmoderate

Most commercial buckwheat is contracted for food markets (groats, flour, soba) with strict test weight, moisture, and dark seed coat specifications. Off-grade grain has very limited markets at much lower prices.

Allergen Concerns in Mixed-Use Grain Handlinglow

Buckwheat is a recognized food allergen in some markets (particularly Asia and EU). Cross-contamination in shared grain handling equipment can disqualify lots, especially in organic and food-grade channels.

Nutritional Yield

USDA FoodData Central

Profile based on Buckwheat (whole_grain form)

Edible mass per acre255 kg

Computed: 15 bu/acre × 22.68 kg/unit × 75% edible

Macronutrients

Nutrient	Per 100 g	Per acre
Calories	343 kcal	875,149 kcal
Protein	13.3 g	33,807 g
Total fat	3.4 g	8,675 g
Carbohydrates	71.5 g	182,429 g
Fiber	10 g	25,515 g

Key micronutrients

Iron

2.2 mg /100g

5,613 mg / acre

Calcium

18 mg /100g

45,926 mg / acre

Potassium

460 mg /100g

1,173,669 mg / acre

Vitamin C

0 mg /100g

0 mg / acre

Vitamin A

0 IU /100g

0 IU / acre

Folate

30 mcg /100g

76,544 mcg / acre

Uncertainty: Per-acre values are estimates that compound the yield range, edible-fraction assumption, and a single representative nutrient panel. Treat them as order-of-magnitude planning numbers, not nutritional advice. Confidence: high.

Ecosystem Services

Nutrient cycling

Phosphorus scavenging from unavailable pools
high
SARE reports buckwheat as nearly three times as effective as barley at extracting phosphorus and more than ten times more effective than rye. Root exudates access P that cereal crops leave behind, and the fast-decomposing residue releases it to the following crop.
Applies when: Benefit accrues to the following crop; requires incorporating or leaving residue rather than removing it.
Evidence: Extension guidance·Confidence: high

Pollinator support

Abundant bloom for bees and predatory insects
high
An attractive host to beneficial insects from bees to minute pirate bugs, lady beetles and predatory wasps. SARE advises leaving buckwheat in flower for a minimum of 20 days so minute pirate bugs can complete a generation — a concrete, actionable threshold.
Applies when: Requires holding the stand in flower ~20 days rather than terminating at first bloom.
Evidence: Extension guidance·Confidence: high

Pest suppression

Dense smother canopy
high
Leaves up to three inches wide develop within two weeks, forming a canopy dense enough to shade out germinating weeds. Fast establishment (germination in three to five days) is what makes it effective as a short-window smother crop.
Applies when: Depends on adequate seeding rate and a warm-season window; buckwheat is frost-sensitive.
Evidence: Extension guidance·Confidence: high

Soil health

Rapid residue turnover
moderate
Reaches maturity in 70-90 days and residue breaks down quickly, returning organic matter without the residue-management burden of a cereal cover crop.
Evidence: Extension guidance·Confidence: high

Climate adaptation

Very short-season gap filler
moderate
A 70-90 day cycle lets buckwheat occupy a window too short for most cover crops — after an early vegetable harvest, or in a failed-planting year — keeping soil covered rather than fallow.
Applies when: Warm-season only; killed by first frost.
Evidence: Extension guidance·Confidence: medium

Cultivars

Named varieties and what the sources say sets each apart. A cultivar-specific zone, chill or maturity figure overrides the species value above.

No cultivars recorded yet for this crop.

Grows With / Avoid Near

Documented interactions with other catalog crops — shared pests, allelopathy, rotation effects, alley and understory pairings — for companion, guild and rotation planning. Plan a combination with Buckwheat →

Avoid near, or plan around (1)

Grows with (13)

Tolerates (5)

Direction matters: a rotation benefit of A before B says nothing about B before A. Interactions are documented pairs only; absence is a research gap, not a clean bill.

Nearby Buyers

Radius from Lake Erie Concord Grape Belt:

No registered buyers for this crop within 50 miles.

Data Sources

Every data point on this page is traceable to its source. Below you'll find the complete provenance trail — which sources were used, when data was last verified, and a full change history.

Primary sources: Data sourced from Cornell Cooperative Extension, Penn State Extension, USDA resources, and regional research.

Economics data year: 2025 · Basis: lake erie View economics source →

65 tracked changes across 10 data categories