Cabbage

Brassica oleracea

vegetablebiennial Zone 3–9

Cool-season biennial vegetable grown as an annual; major commercial brassica suitable for Zones 3-9, with high yields in fertile, well-drained soils. Requires even moisture and split nitrogen applications around 150 lb/ac.

26/30

Crop Snowflake Score

Gross Revenue

$8,630

/acre

Net Return

$1,800

/acre

Price Trend

stable

Establishment Cost

$1,500

/acre

Crop Insurance

Available

Years to Production

years

Overview

Growing Season

Plant: April-May (spring crop, 4-6 weeks before last frost); July (fall crop, 10-12 weeks before first hard frost) – April-May (spring crop, 4-6 weeks before last frost); July (fall crop, 10-12 weeks before first hard frost)
Harvest: June-July (spring); Sept-Oct (fall) – June-July (spring); Sept-Oct (fall)
Frost-free days: 120+
GDD (base 50°F): 2,500

Yield

Typical yield: 430 cwt/acre
Productive lifespan: 1 years

90%

Market Fit

5/6

Active Regional Buyers

Established crop with known regional buyers

Price Trend Stable/Up

Price stable over past 3 years

Supply Below Demand

Regional supply roughly balanced with demand

Multiple Buyer Channels

Multiple market channels: wholesale, retail, processing, and/or direct

Value-Added Potential

Limited value-added processing opportunities

Market Growth Projected

Stable market outlook

Market Channels

wholesale · Wholesale is the dominant channel for cabbage: long storage life (months in refrigerated or CA storage), high yield per acre, and stable year-round demand make it well-suited to grading, palletization, and distribution through packers and terminal markets. Requires USDA grading for premium outlets.

retail · Grocery chains and independent retailers absorb large volumes of cabbage year-round. Green, red, and savoy types each have established retail demand. Consistent supply, sizing, and food-safety certification (GAP, often GFSI) are required for chain accounts.

farmers_market · Fall- and winter-harvested cabbage is a staple of late-season farmers markets, where it complements storage crops (squash, onions, potatoes). Specialty types — savoy, napa, pointed varieties — command premiums over commodity green cabbage.

csa · Cabbage is a CSA workhorse: it stores well in the share box, tolerates a range of delivery conditions, and supplies kraut, slaw, and cooking use through late-season shares. Popular for fall and winter CSA extensions.

restaurant · Local restaurants purchase cabbage for slaws, kraut, kimchi, rolls, and Asian cuisine. Specialty varieties (napa, savoy) and heirloom types are particularly attractive to chef-driven accounts. Delivery can be weekly due to long shelf life.

direct_to_consumer · Farm stand and on-farm market sales work well given cabbage’s storage life. Value-added products — fresh kraut, kimchi, fermented slaw — can substantially raise per-head revenue where a licensed processing kitchen is available.

Climate Fit

6/6

Hardiness Zone Match

Region's hardiness zone within crop range (3.0-9.0)

GDD Sufficient

Regional GDD (2600) meets crop requirement (2500)

Precipitation Compatible

Regional precipitation (~40 in/yr) compatible with crop needs

Frost-Free Season OK

Frost-free season (160 days) meets crop requirement (120 days)

Chill Hours Met

Chill hour requirement N/A for this crop type or met by default

Climate Trend Favorable

Climate projections remain favorable for this crop in the region

Soil Compatibility

Soil Texture

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

Drainage

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

Infrastructure Fit

6/6

Equipment Compatible

Standard farm equipment compatible or easily adapted

Storage Available

Cold storage needed; may require investment

Irrigation Compatible

Irrigation beneficial; existing vineyard irrigation systems adaptable

Field Layout Suitable

Vineyard field layouts suitable for this crop

Labor Availability

Moderate labor requirements; manageable with planning

Processing Proximity

Processing/packing facilities within viable distance in WNY

Equipment Requirements

planting

Compact Tractor (25-50 HP)Required

General purpose tractor for tillage, bed preparation, and cultivation. 30-50 HP recommended.

$22,000

Moldboard Plow or Chisel PlowRequired

Deep tillage to incorporate residue and prepare seedbed. Plow at least 1 month before planting.

$3,000

Transplanter (Water Wheel Type)Optional

Mechanical transplanter for setting transplants at correct spacing. Water wheel provides water at transplant.

$4,000

Precision Seeder (for direct seeding)Optional

For direct-seeded cabbage. Most growers use transplants, but direct seeding reduces costs for large acreages.

$3,500

irrigation

Drip Irrigation SystemRequired

Per-acre. Drip preferred to reduce foliar disease. Cabbage needs 1-1.5 inches water per week.

$2,500

spraying

Boom SprayerRequired

PTO-driven boom sprayer for pesticide and fungicide applications. Essential for caterpillar and disease management.

$3,000

harvesting

Harvest KnivesRequired Specialized

Per-worker. Sharp curved cabbage knives for cutting heads. Stainless steel preferred for food safety.

$50

Harvest Aid / Picking ConveyorOptional Specialized

Tractor-mounted conveyor reducing carrying and back strain. Justified for operations over 5 acres.

$15,000

Field Bins and WagonsRequired

Bulk bins and tractor-pulled wagons for field transport. Padding reduces bruising.

$1,500

cultivation

Cultivator / Sweep CultivatorRequired

Tractor-mounted for mechanical weed control between rows. Essential for organic production.

$2,000

general

Floating Row CoversOptional

Per-acre cost for spunbond fabric. Excellent flea beetle and caterpillar exclusion on transplants. Reusable 2-3 seasons.

$500

Storage Requirements

Regular cold storage

Temperature

32–32°F

Humidity

98–100%

Max Storage

180 days

Controlled atmosphere (CA)

Temperature

32–32°F

Humidity

95–98%

Max Storage

270 days

Ambient/field heat

Temperature

35–50°F

Max Storage

21 days

Finance Fit

4/6

Revenue Above Average

Gross revenue ($8,471/acre) exceeds regional average

Input Costs Acceptable

Input costs are low to moderate

Payback Period OK

Reaches full production in 0 years; acceptable payback

Insurance Available

Federal crop insurance available

Revenue Per Labor Hour

Labor-intensive; revenue per labor hour may be modest

Grants/Subsidies

No specific subsidy programs identified

Economics Breakdown

Avg Price/Unit	$20/$/cwt
Gross Revenue/Acre	$8,630
Annual Operating Cost	—/acre
Establishment Cost	$1,500/acre
Total Input Cost	—/acre
Net Return/Acre	$1,800
Revenue/Labor Hour	—
Crop Insurance	Available

Source: USDA Agricultural Marketing Resource Center (AgMRC); Cornell Vegetable Program (NY 2024 grower price reference) (2025)

Risk Fit

5/6

Manageable Pest/Disease

Significant pest/disease pressure requiring intensive management

Market Diversified

Market access diversified across multiple channels

Low Establishment Risk

Moderate establishment risk; manageable with planning

Climate Resilient

Moderate climate resilience for the region

Regulatory Burden Low

Minimal regulatory burden for production and sale

Diversifies Portfolio

Diversifies farm revenue away from grape monoculture

Known Risks

disease

Black Rot (Xanthomonas campestris)high

Bacterial disease causing V-shaped yellow to brown lesions from leaf margins. Darkened veins diagnostic. Can cause complete crop loss. Seed-borne.

Clubroot (Plasmodiophora brassicae)high

Soil-borne pathogen causing swollen, distorted roots. Plants wilt on hot days and stunt. Persists in soil 10+ years.

Downy Mildew (Peronospora parasitica)moderate

Yellow patches on upper leaves with gray-purple fuzzy growth underneath. Damaging in cool, moist Regional spring and fall conditions.

Alternaria Leaf Spotmoderate

Dark brown to black circular lesions with concentric rings on older leaves. Reduces head quality and storage life.

pest

Imported Cabbageworm (Pieris rapae)high

Green caterpillars feed on leaves and bore into heads, contaminating with frass. Present throughout growing season in the growing region.

Cabbage Looper (Trichoplusia ni)moderate

Green looping caterpillars feed on leaves and bore into heads. Multiple generations per season. Often found with cabbageworm.

Flea Beetlesmoderate

Small jumping beetles creating shot-hole damage on leaves. Most damaging to young transplants. Can transmit viral diseases.

Cabbage Aphids (Brevicoryne brassicae)moderate

Waxy gray-green aphids forming dense colonies causing curling and stunting. Honeydew leads to sooty mold.

climate

Head Splitting from Excess Rainmoderate

Rapid water uptake after dry spells causes mature heads to split. Regional summer thunderstorms can trigger this.

Nutritional Yield

Nutrition data pending.

Research agents will profile Cabbage against USDA FoodData Central on the next maintenance pass. Per-acre nutritional yield will appear here once the per-100g panel is recorded.

Ecosystem Services

Ecosystem service data pending.

The next research-agent rotation will document this crop's contributions to pollinator support, soil health, water quality, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration.

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 · Region: lake_erie View economics source →

68 tracked changes across 9 data categories