Hardy perennial vegetable for cool-temperate regions, low maintenance with early spring harvest of tart stalks used in pies and sauces.
Crop Snowflake Score
/acre
/acre
/acre
years
Overview
Growing Season
- Plant
- Early spring (April) or early fall – Early spring (April) or early fall
- Harvest
- May-July – May-July
- Frost-free days
- 160+
Yield
- Typical yield
- 6 tons/acre
- Productive lifespan
- 8 years
- Years to full prod.
- 3
- Labor
- 200 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 "stable".
Supply Below Demand
3 of 6 documented channels rate viability "strong". Sold into regional rather than national markets, vegetable supply here generally trails that demand.
Multiple Buyer Channels
6 of 6 documented market channels rate viable or better (farmers_market, direct_to_consumer, csa, restaurant). Multiple independent routes to market.
Value-Added Potential
4 viable direct-market channels (farmers_market, direct_to_consumer, csa, 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
Climate Fit
Hardiness Zone Match
Crop tolerates zones 3-8; 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 needs 160 frost-free days; region provides ~180. Sufficient.
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 6 hardiness zones (3-8). 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 frost-free season. 6 criteria evaluated, 1 not yet researched; 80% cited.
No limiting condition found. 6 criteria evaluated, 1 not yet researched; 80% cited.
Limited by frost-free season. 6 criteria evaluated, 1 not yet researched; 80% cited.
Climate envelope & site
What the farm matcher compares your conditions against.
Climate envelope
- Hardiness zone
- 3–8
- Frost-free season
- 160+ days
- Heat (GDD base 50°F)
- not yet recorded
- Winter chill
- 500+ hours
- Rainfall
- 31.5–78.7 in/yr
Below the minimum, irrigation is needed; above the maximum the crop fails.
- Soil pH target
- 5.0–6.8
Extension lime target; within 1.0 of it is correctable.
Site & structure
- Spring frost at bloom
- not yet recorded
- Needs cold-air drainage
- not yet recorded
- 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
Drainage
Infrastructure Fit
Equipment Compatible
1 of 12 documented equipment items are crop-specific (8%) 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
Labor requirement not recorded. Catalog 75th percentile is 250 hr/ac.
Processing Proximity
1 processor/cooperative buyer on record for this crop, 1 within NY/PA/OH.
Equipment Requirements
planting
General power unit for bed preparation, cultivation, and mowing alleyways. Shared cost across a diversified vegetable operation.
Deep tillage essential before planting — rhubarb crowns grow 10+ years in place. Incorporate generous compost 12 inches deep prior to establishment.
Rhubarb is planted from crown divisions at 3-4 ft spacing — mechanical transplanters are not economic for this low-density, once-every-decade planting.
irrigation
Per-acre cost including mainline and laterals. Rhubarb needs consistent moisture in spring; drip also reduces crown rot risk versus overhead.
spraying
Sufficient for most rhubarb plantings under an acre. Rarely used given rhubarb needs minimal chemical inputs.
cultivation
Heavy mulch (4-6 inches) around crowns suppresses weeds, conserves moisture, and moderates soil temperature. Renewed annually.
Hand weeding between crowns is standard; rototilling too close causes crown damage. Wheel hoe useful in-row on small acreages.
harvesting
Stalks are twisted and pulled from crowns by hand; knives used only for trimming leaves in field. Leaves discarded in field (toxic due to oxalic acid).
Per-crate cost. Waxed cardboard or plastic totes hold 20-25 lb bunches. Stalks handle best when laid flat rather than stacked upright.
post_harvest
Rapid cooling to 32-34°F within 2 hours of harvest doubles shelf life. Essential for wholesale channels; optional for farmers market sales.
Walk-in cooler for 2-4 week holding. High RH prevents wilting of petioles. Shared across other cool-season vegetables on most farms.
Simple stainless or plastic-top table for trimming, bunching, and rubber-banding stalks for retail display.
Storage Requirements
Fresh cold storage
Temperature
32–32°F
Humidity
95–100%
Max Storage
28 days
Frozen (blanched, cut)
Temperature
-10–0°F
Max Storage
365 days
Processed (juice, jam, syrup)
Temperature
60–75°F
Max Storage
540 days
Financial Return
Revenue Above Average
Gross revenue $10,000/ac vs catalog median $6,000/ac. Above median.
Input Costs Acceptable
Input cost not recorded; not penalising. Catalog 75th percentile is $6,300/ac.
Payback Period OK
Reaches full production in 3 years. Acceptable payback.
Insurance Available
No federal crop insurance recorded for this crop; risk sits with the grower.
Revenue Per Labor Hour
Cannot compute — labor hours 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 | $3//lb wholesale |
| Gross Revenue/Acre | $10,000 |
| Annual Operating Cost | —/acre |
| Establishment Cost | —/acre |
| Total Input Cost | —/acre |
| Net Return/Acre | $2,500 |
| Revenue/Labor Hour | — |
| Crop Insurance | Not available |
Source: MSU Extension E1577 Rhubarb; Oregon State Horticulture (2025)
Risk Profile
Manageable Pest/Disease
1 of 10 documented risks are high-severity (10%) against a catalog median of 36%. Risk load is manageable by conventional IPM.
Market Diversified
6 viable market channels of 6 documented, plus 1 named buyer. Not dependent on a single outlet.
Low Establishment Risk
3 years to full production. Multi-year capital commitment before first full return.
Climate Resilient
Tolerates zones 3-8 (6 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
disease
Soilborne oomycete causing crown and root decay; most destructive rhubarb disease. Infected crowns rot at the base with reddish-brown lesions, leading to plant collapse.
Fungal disease causing small circular red spots that expand into large tan lesions with red borders. Severe infections cause leaf collapse and reduce petiole vigor.
Fungal disease causing yellowish-green spots with white centers that may drop out creating a shot-hole appearance. Cosmetic damage primarily.
pest
Large rust-colored snout weevil that lays eggs in the stalks and crowns, causing sap weeping from puncture wounds; larvae weaken crowns. Primary alternate host is curly dock.
Larvae bore into rhubarb petioles and crowns, causing wilting of individual stalks. Damage is typically scattered and does not warrant insecticide application.
Feed on young petioles and leaves in cool, moist conditions; damage is primarily cosmetic but can reduce marketability of retail bunches.
climate
Rhubarb requires 500+ hours below 4°C (40°F) to break dormancy properly. In warmer zones (USDA Zone 8+), plants produce thin petioles and decline within a few years.
Prolonged temperatures above 32°C (90°F) cause rhubarb to go dormant or decline. Petioles become thin, stringy, and develop reduced acidity; hot weather can also concentrate oxalate levels.
market
Fresh market rhubarb sells primarily April-June; demand drops sharply thereafter. Frozen and processed markets are thin and price-competitive.
Younger consumers are often unfamiliar with rhubarb preparation; toxic leaves require education at point of sale to avoid liability and consumer mistakes.
Nutritional Yield
Macronutrients
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per acre |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 21 kcal | 1,028,747 kcal |
| Protein | 0.9 g | 44,089 g |
| Total fat | 0.2 g | 9,798 g |
| Carbohydrates | 4.5 g | 222,405 g |
| Fiber | 1.8 g | 88,178 g |
| Sugar | 1.1 g | 53,887 g |
Key micronutrients
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 Rhubarb →
Avoid near, or plan around (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 →
85 tracked changes across 9 data categories