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.
Crop Snowflake Score
/acre
/acre
/acre
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
Market Fit
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
Climate Fit
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.
Limited by high-severity risks. 6 criteria evaluated, 1 not yet researched; 100% cited.
Limited by high-severity risks. 6 criteria evaluated, 1 not yet researched; 100% cited.
Limited by high-severity risks. 6 criteria evaluated, 1 not yet researched; 100% cited.
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
Drainage
Infrastructure Fit
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
General purpose tractor for site prep, mowing, and spraying. Fixed cost shared across all small fruit operations.
For initial soil preparation. Till 8-12 inches deep before planting. Can be PTO-driven or walk-behind for small acreages.
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.
irrigation
Per-acre cost including mainline, laterals, emitters, and timer. 00-,000/acre depending on water source and automation level. Essential for consistent fruit quality.
spraying
PTO-driven airblast sprayer for larger plantings. Backpack sprayer adequate for under 1 acre. Critical for SWD and disease management programs.
cultivation
For maintaining row middles and managing vegetation. PTO-driven, shared across farm operations.
harvesting
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.
post_harvest
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.
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
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
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
Fungal disease causing purple-brown lesions on canes, reducing vigor and yield. Common in humid temperate climates.
Fungal disease causing chocolate-brown lesions on canes at leaf nodes. Weakens canes and reduces fruit quality.
Soil-borne water mold causing root and crown rot. Raspberries are highly susceptible, especially in poorly drained soils. Can kill entire plantings.
pest
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.
Small beetle larvae feed inside fruit, causing wormy berries. More of a quality issue than a yield issue.
Defoliates plants by skeletonizing leaves. Adults active June through August in the growing region.
climate
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
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
Eden Valley Growers
Eden, NY · 30.0 mi
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
