Experimental database — not agricultural advice. Learn more

Back to Screener
Raspberry

Raspberry

Rubus idaeus GRIN 467361

fruitperennial Zone 4–8

Red raspberries are a widely grown bramble fruit, produced primarily for fresh market. Suitable for Zones 4-8 with well-drained acidic soil; floricane and primocane types extend harvest.

27/30

Crop Snowflake Score

Gross Revenue
$15,000

/acre

Net Return
$5,000

/acre

Price Trend
declining
Establishment Cost
$10,000

/acre

Crop Insurance
None
Years to Production
2

years

Overview

Growing Season

Plant
early spring – early spring
Harvest
late June-August (floricane); late summer-fall (primocane) – late June-August (floricane); late summer-fall (primocane)
Frost-free days
120+

Yield

Typical yield
3 tons/acre or lbs/acre
Productive lifespan
10 years
Years to full prod.
2
Labor
380 hrs/acre
92%

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 "declining".

Supply Below Demand

2 of 6 documented channels rate viability "strong". Sold into regional rather than national markets, fruit supply here generally trails that demand.

Multiple Buyer Channels

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

Value-Added Potential

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

Market Growth Projected

Specialty fruit segment; consumer demand for regionally grown specialty produce has been expanding.

Market Channels

farmers_market · Primary sales channel for fresh raspberries. Consumers pay premium for locally-grown fresh berries. Short supply chain suits highly perishable fruit.
direct_to_consumer · U-pick operations popular; lower prices but eliminates harvest labor costs. Also includes farm stands and online pre-orders.
restaurant · Local restaurants and bakeries purchase fresh raspberries seasonally. Requires consistent supply and rapid delivery due to perishability.
wholesale · Sales to grocery stores and produce auctions. Requires sufficient volume and cold-chain infrastructure. Margins lower than direct sales.
retail · Farm stand and on-farm market sales. Works well for small-scale growers. Customers value freshness and variety selection.
csa · Raspberries are a high-value addition to CSA shares during summer/fall harvest windows. Increases share value and member satisfaction.

Climate Fit

6/6

Hardiness Zone Match

Crop tolerates zones 4-8; region spans 5-6. Overlaps.

GDD Sufficient

Crop GDD minimum not recorded. Region accumulates 2500+ GDD (base 50F), sufficient for most temperate crops.

Precipitation Compatible

Crop water requirement not recorded. Region is humid continental with reliable growing-season rainfall; irrigation available as supplement.

Frost-Free Season OK

Crop frost-free requirement not recorded. Region provides ~180 days.

Chill Hours Met

Perennial. Region's zone 5-6 winters deliver well over 1,000 chill hours, ample for temperate perennials.

Climate Trend Favorable

Crop spans 5 hardiness zones (4-8). 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

Limited by high-severity risks. 6 criteria evaluated, 1 not yet researched; 100% cited.

Strong fit
95/100
Hardiness zoneHeat 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

Limited by high-severity risks. 6 criteria evaluated, 1 not yet researched; 100% cited.

Strong fit
95/100
Hardiness zoneHeat 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

Limited by high-severity risks. 6 criteria evaluated, 1 not yet researched; 100% cited.

Strong fit
95/100
Hardiness zoneHeat 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
4–8
Frost-free season
120+ days
Heat (GDD base 50°F)
not yet recorded
Winter chill
800+ hours
Rainfall
31.5–66.9 in/yr

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

Soil pH target
5.8–6.5

Extension lime target; within 1.0 of it is correctable.

Site & structure

Spring frost at bloom
high sensitivity
Needs cold-air drainage
yes — avoid frost pockets
Shade tolerance
partial
Mature height
5 ft
Rooting depth
not yet recorded
Wind exposure tolerance
low
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 (ideal)silt_loam (suitable)loamy_sand (suitable)sand (marginal)clay_loam (marginal)sandy_clay_loam (marginal)silty_clay_loam (poor)clay (poor)silty_clay (poor)

Drainage

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

Infrastructure Fit

6/6

Equipment Compatible

2 of 8 documented equipment items are crop-specific (25%) against a catalog median of 29%. Most needs are met by general row-crop or orchard equipment.

Storage Available

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

Irrigation Compatible

Water requirement not recorded; standard drip or overhead irrigation assumed adequate.

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

Compact Tractor (25-40 HP)Required

General purpose tractor for site prep, mowing, and spraying. Fixed cost shared across all small fruit operations.

$18,000
Rototiller / Bed ShaperRequired

For initial soil preparation. Till 8-12 inches deep before planting. Can be PTO-driven or walk-behind for small acreages.

$2,500
Trellis System (posts and wire)Required Specialized

Per-acre cost for T-trellis or V-trellis system. Essential for managing plant growth, improving fruit quality, and facilitating harvest. Wooden or metal posts with 2-3 wires.

$3,000

irrigation

Drip Irrigation SystemRequired

Per-acre cost including mainline, laterals, emitters, and timer. 00-,000/acre depending on water source and automation level. Essential for consistent fruit quality.

$2,000

spraying

Airblast or Backpack SprayerRequired

PTO-driven airblast sprayer for larger plantings. Backpack sprayer adequate for under 1 acre. Critical for SWD and disease management programs.

$3,500

cultivation

Rotary MowerRequired

For maintaining row middles and managing vegetation. PTO-driven, shared across farm operations.

$2,000

harvesting

Harvest Trays and ClamshellsRequired Specialized

Annual cost for picking containers. Use shallow trays (half-pints or smaller) so fruit is maximum 3 deep. Hand harvest is standard for fresh market raspberries.

$500

post_harvest

Forced-Air CoolerRequired

Pre-cool fruit to 32-34F immediately after harvest. Critical for extending shelf life from hours to 2-3 days. Walk-in cooler with fans adequate for small operations.

$5,000

Storage Requirements

Fresh cold storage

Temperature

32–34°F

Humidity

90–95%

Max Storage

7 days

Modified atmosphere (15-20% CO2)

Temperature

32–34°F

Humidity

90–95%

Max Storage

14 days

Frozen (IQF)

Temperature

-10–0°F

Max Storage

365 days

Financial Return

5/6

Revenue Above Average

Gross revenue $14,250/ac vs catalog median $6,000/ac. Above median.

Input Costs Acceptable

Total input cost $5,000/ac vs catalog 75th percentile $6,300/ac. Within typical range.

Payback Period OK

Reaches full production in 2 years. Acceptable payback.

Insurance Available

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

Revenue Per Labor Hour

Net return per labor hour $53.13 ($4,250/ac over 80 hr/ac) vs catalog median $13.16. Above median.

Grants/Subsidies

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

Economics Breakdown

Avg Price/Unit$5/$/lb
Gross Revenue/Acre$15,000
Annual Operating Cost$4,000/acre
Establishment Cost$10,000/acre
Total Input Cost$5,000/acre
Net Return/Acre$5,000
Revenue/Labor Hour$188
Crop Insurance Not available

Source: Penn State Extension Agricultural Alternatives: Raspberry Production; Cornell Berry Budgets (NY 2014). Price reflects u-pick/direct-marketing channel — wholesale raspberry pricing differs materially from u-pick. (2025)

Risk Profile

5/6

Manageable Pest/Disease

3 of 8 documented risks are high-severity (38%) against a catalog median of 36%. Above-median concentration of high-severity risk, demanding intensive management.

Market Diversified

6 viable market channels of 6 documented, plus 1 named buyer. Not dependent on a single outlet.

Low Establishment Risk

2 years to full production at $10,000/ac establishment cost. Low establishment exposure.

Climate Resilient

Tolerates zones 4-8 (5 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 fruit revenue stream distinct from the region's grape-dominated base.

Known Risks

disease

Anthracnose (Elsinoe veneta)moderate

Fungal disease causing purple-brown lesions on canes, reducing vigor and yield. Common in humid temperate climates.

Spur Blight (Didymella applanata)moderate

Fungal disease causing chocolate-brown lesions on canes at leaf nodes. Weakens canes and reduces fruit quality.

Phytophthora Root Rothigh

Soil-borne water mold causing root and crown rot. Raspberries are highly susceptible, especially in poorly drained soils. Can kill entire plantings.

pest

Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD)high

Invasive fruit fly that lays eggs in ripening soft fruit. A growing and severe threat across humid temperate growing regions, causing direct fruit damage and contamination.

Raspberry Fruitworm (Byturus rubi)low

Small beetle larvae feed inside fruit, causing wormy berries. More of a quality issue than a yield issue.

Japanese Beetle (Popillia japonica)moderate

Defoliates plants by skeletonizing leaves. Adults active June through August in the growing region.

climate

Winter Cane Injurymoderate

Raspberry canes can suffer winter damage in Zones 5b-6b, especially during open winters without snow cover. Affects primocane varieties less than floricane types.

market

Short Shelf Lifehigh

Fresh raspberries have extremely short shelf life (2-3 days at room temperature). Requires rapid cooling and sale within days of harvest.

Nutritional Yield

Nutrition data pending.

Research agents will profile Raspberry 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.

Cultivars

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

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 Raspberry →

Avoid near, or plan around (37)

Grows with (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:

Eden Valley Growers

Eden, NY · 30.0 mi

cooperative
Accepts contracts

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 →

100 tracked changes across 9 data categories

Core Crop Data

Aug 17, 20265 entries
Region-neutral cleanup audit
Apr 16, 20261 entry
Calculated from data coverage
Apr 10, 20261 entry
Automated calculation based on populated tables
Apr 9, 20261 entry

Drainage Preferences

Soil Preferences

Equipment Requirements

Crop Picker

by Every.Farm

A stock-screener-style tool for comparing crops anywhere in the world.

Your Location

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

Change this from the header to screen crops for a different region.

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

© 2026 Every.Farm · Data for informational purposes only.