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Carrot

Carrot

Daucus carota subsp. sativus

vegetableannual

Cool-season biennial root vegetable grown as an annual, producing sweet, orange taproots. Adaptable across Zones 3-10, carrots thrive in loose, well-drained soils and are one of the most widely grown vegetable crops worldwide. Suited for both fresh market and processing, with varieties ranging from small round types to long Imperator types.

25/30

Crop Snowflake Score

Gross Revenue
$7,500

/acre

Net Return
$1,800

/acre

Price Trend
—
Establishment Cost
—

/acre

Crop Insurance
None
Years to Production
0

years

Overview

Carrots require deep, loose, stone-free soil for straight root development. Heavy or compacted soils cause forking and misshapen roots. Seeds are slow to germinate (14-21 days) and benefit from consistent moisture during establishment. Successive plantings every 2-3 weeks extend harvest season. Carrots tolerate light frost and may actually improve in sweetness after cold exposure, as the plant converts starches to sugars. Nitrogen should be moderate (approximately 100 lbs N/acre for commercial production) — excess nitrogen promotes top growth at the expense of root development. Carrots are a key rotation crop and work well in diversified vegetable operations, offering strong direct-to-consumer and wholesale market potential.

Growing Season

Plant
Early spring (2-4 weeks before last frost) – Late summer for fall harvest
Harvest
Late June (spring planting) – Late October (fall planting)
Frost-free days
60+
GDD (base 50°F)
1,200 – 1,500

Yield

Typical yield
30 tons/acre
Productive lifespan
1 years
Labor
80 hrs/acre
96%

Market Fit

5/6

Active Regional Buyers

1 active buyer on record purchasing this crop.

Price Trend Stable/Up

3-year price trend recorded as "increasing".

Supply Below Demand

3 of 4 documented channels rate viability "strong". Sold into regional rather than national markets, vegetable supply here generally trails that demand.

Multiple Buyer Channels

4 of 4 documented market channels rate viable or better (direct_to_consumer, wholesale, 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 vegetable market; growth over a 5-year horizon is expected to track population rather than outpace it.

Market Channels

direct_to_consumer · Strong demand at farmers markets and CSAs. Rainbow/specialty varieties command premium prices.
wholesale · Major wholesale crop with year-round demand. Requires consistent volume and grading.
retail · Large processing and retail market for canned, frozen, juiced, and baby carrot products.
restaurant · Specialty and heirloom varieties valued by restaurants. Consistent quality expected.

Climate Fit

6/6

Hardiness Zone Match

Crop tolerates zones 3-10; region spans 5-6. Overlaps.

GDD Sufficient

Crop needs 1200 GDD (base 50F); region accumulates 2500+. Sufficient.

Precipitation Compatible

Crop needs ~1 in; region receives ~38 in/yr. Compatible, irrigation available as supplement.

Frost-Free Season OK

Crop needs 65 frost-free days; region provides ~180. Sufficient.

Chill Hours Met

Not applicable — annual crop has no winter chill requirement.

Climate Trend Favorable

Crop spans 8 hardiness zones (3-10). 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; 60% 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; 60% 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; 60% 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
60+ days
Heat (GDD base 50°F)
1,200+
Winter chill
n/a
Rainfall
23.6–157.5 in/yr

Below the minimum, irrigation is needed; above the maximum the crop fails.

Soil pH target
6.0–7.0

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

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

Drainage

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

Infrastructure Fit

5/6

Equipment Compatible

3 of 4 documented equipment items are crop-specific (75%) against a catalog median of 29%. Above-median share of purpose-built equipment, implying real capital outlay.

Storage Available

3 documented storage routes; at least one (Fresh cold storage (topped)) is reachable with conventional on-farm or third-party facilities.

Irrigation Compatible

Requires ~1 in. Deliverable with conventional drip or overhead irrigation.

Field Layout Suitable

Suited to the small-to-mid-size fragmented parcels typical of the region.

Labor Availability

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

Processing Proximity

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

Equipment Requirements

planting

Precision SeederRequired Specialized

Vacuum or belt seeder for precise spacing. Essential for commercial production.

$8,000

cultivation

Deep Tillage EquipmentRequired

Subsoiler or chisel plow for deep soil loosening (12-18 inches). Critical for long root types.

$3,000

harvesting

Root Harvester / DiggerOptional Specialized

Mechanical harvester for commercial scale. Hand harvest viable for small/direct-market operations.

$25,000

post_harvest

Root WasherOptional Specialized

Barrel or conveyor washer for cleaning roots before fresh market sale.

$5,000

Storage Requirements

Fresh cold storage (topped)

Temperature

32–34°F

Humidity

95–98%

Max Storage

270 days

Fresh cold storage (bunched with greens)

Temperature

32–34°F

Humidity

95–98%

Max Storage

14 days

Frozen (blanched)

Temperature

0–0°F

Max Storage

365 days

Financial Return

3/6

Revenue Above Average

Gross revenue not recorded for this crop in lake_erie. Cannot establish it exceeds the catalog median of $6,000.

Input Costs Acceptable

Input cost not recorded; not penalising. Catalog 75th percentile is $6,300/ac.

Payback Period OK

Reaches full production in 0 years. Acceptable payback.

Insurance Available

No federal crop insurance recorded for this crop; risk sits with the grower.

Revenue Per Labor Hour

Cannot compute — net return not recorded. Catalog median is $13.16/hr.

Grants/Subsidies

Vegetable crops are eligible under the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program.

Economics Breakdown

Avg Price/Unit—
Gross Revenue/Acre$7,500
Annual Operating Cost—/acre
Establishment Cost—/acre
Total Input Cost—/acre
Net Return/Acre$1,800
Revenue/Labor Hour—
Crop Insurance Not available

Source: MSU Extension E1437 Commercial Carrot Recommendations; USDA NASS Vegetables 2024 (2025)

Risk Profile

6/6

Manageable Pest/Disease

1 of 4 documented risks are high-severity (25%) against a catalog median of 36%. Risk load is manageable by conventional IPM.

Market Diversified

4 viable market channels of 4 documented, plus 1 named buyer. Not dependent on a single outlet.

Low Establishment Risk

0 years to full production. Low establishment exposure.

Climate Resilient

Tolerates zones 3-10 (8 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 vegetable revenue stream distinct from the region's grape-dominated base.

Known Risks

pest

Carrot Rust Flyhigh

Larvae tunnel into roots, causing brown scarring and decay. Multiple generations per season in temperate climates.

Root-Knot Nematodemoderate

Nematodes cause galling and forking of roots, reducing marketability.

disease

Alternaria Leaf Blightmoderate

Fungal disease causing dark lesions on foliage, reducing photosynthesis and yield. Favored by warm, humid conditions.

climate

Soil Compaction / Poor Tilthmoderate

Compacted or rocky soils cause forked, stunted, or misshapen roots, reducing marketable yield.

Nutritional Yield

USDA FoodData Central
Profile based on Carrots, raw (root form)
Edible mass per acre24,222 kg
Computed: 30 tons × 907.18 kg/unit × 89% edible

Macronutrients

NutrientPer 100 gPer acre
Calories41 kcal9,930,954 kcal
Protein0.9 g225,263 g
Total fat0.2 g58,132 g
Carbohydrates9.6 g2,320,452 g
Fiber2.8 g678,212 g
Sugar4.7 g1,148,115 g

Key micronutrients

Iron
0.3 mg /100g
72,666 mg / acre
Calcium
33 mg /100g
7,993,207 mg / acre
Potassium
320 mg /100g
77,509,886 mg / acre
Vitamin C
5.9 mg /100g
1,429,089 mg / acre
Vitamin A
16,706 IU /100g
4,046,500,507 IU / acre
Folate
19 mcg /100g
4,602,150 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

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.

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 Carrot →

Avoid near, or plan around (31)

Grows with (4)

Tolerates (1)

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 UMN Extension, Cornell ENYCH, Penn State Extension, and USDA resources.

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

53 tracked changes across 8 data categories

Core Crop Data

Oct 1, 20261 entry
Aug 17, 20261 entry

Storage Requirements

Jan 1, 20251 entry

Market Channels

Jan 1, 20251 entry

Equipment Requirements

Jan 1, 20251 entry

Risks & Threats

Jan 1, 20251 entry
Crop Picker

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Your Location

  • Lake Erie Concord Grape Belt
  • NY / PA
  • United States
  • Zone 6a

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Experimental research database. AI-assisted, may contain errors. Not formal agricultural, financial, or planting advice. Verify with your local extension service before making decisions.

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