Snap beans (green/string beans) are warm-season annual legumes grown for immature pods and widely produced for processing and fresh market. Suitable for Zones 3-10 with warm soil planting after frost; frost-sensitive and nitrogen-fixing.
Crop Snowflake Score
/acre
/acre
/acre
years
Overview
Growing Season
- Plant
- After last frost (soil 60°F+); typically May through late July for succession plantings – After last frost (soil 60°F+); typically May through late July for succession plantings
- Harvest
- 50-60 days after planting – 50-60 days after planting
- Frost-free days
- 60+
- GDD (base 50°F)
- 1,050
Yield
- Typical yield
- 3.4 tons/acre
- Productive lifespan
- 1 years
- Labor
- 35 hrs/acre
Market Fit
Active Regional Buyers
2 active buyers on record purchasing this crop.
Price Trend Stable/Up
3-year price trend recorded as "declining".
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, wholesale, csa). 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 3-10; region spans 5-6. Overlaps.
GDD Sufficient
Crop needs 1600 GDD (base 50F); region accumulates 2500+. Sufficient.
Precipitation Compatible
Crop needs ~20 in; region receives ~38 in/yr. Compatible, irrigation available as supplement.
Frost-Free Season OK
Crop needs 100 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.
No limiting condition found. 5 criteria evaluated; 100% cited.
No limiting condition found. 5 criteria evaluated; 100% cited.
No limiting condition found. 5 criteria evaluated; 100% cited.
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)
- 1,050+
- Winter chill
- n/a
- Rainfall
- 19.7–169.3 in/yr
Below the minimum, irrigation is needed; above the maximum the crop fails.
- Soil pH target
- 5.8–6.6
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
Drainage
Infrastructure Fit
Equipment Compatible
1 of 7 documented equipment items are crop-specific (14%) 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 (hydrocooled)) is reachable with conventional on-farm or third-party facilities.
Irrigation Compatible
Requires ~20 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
Labor requirement not recorded. Catalog 75th percentile is 250 hr/ac.
Processing Proximity
2 processor/cooperative buyers on record for this crop, 2 within NY/PA/OH.
Equipment Requirements
planting
Standard row-crop planter with plates sized for bean seed. Plate planters or vacuum planters both work. Plant at 2-4 inch spacing.
cultivation
For mechanical weed control between rows. Cultivation must be shallow to avoid root damage. Less needed if using herbicides or mulch.
spraying
For herbicide, fungicide, and insecticide applications. Adjustable nozzle height needed as crop grows.
harvesting
Once-over snap harvesters for commercial operations. Small-acreage growers typically hand harvest. Custom harvesting often available.
irrigation
Overhead or drip irrigation. Beans need 1 inch per week, critical during flowering and pod fill. Avoid overhead irrigation during bloom to reduce white mold risk.
general
Used model sufficient. Needed for planting, cultivation, and spraying. Most field operations can also be custom hired.
post_harvest
Rapid cooling essential for maintaining snap bean quality. Field heat must be removed within hours of harvest. Ice or forced-air cooling alternatives for small operations.
Storage Requirements
Fresh cold storage (hydrocooled)
Temperature
40–45°F
Humidity
90–95%
Max Storage
10 days
Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP)
Temperature
40–45°F
Humidity
90–95%
Max Storage
14 days
Frozen (blanched)
Temperature
-10–0°F
Max Storage
365 days
Financial Return
Revenue Above Average
Gross revenue $1,040/ac vs catalog median $6,000/ac. Below median.
Input Costs Acceptable
Total input cost $850/ac vs catalog 75th percentile $6,300/ac. Within typical range.
Payback Period OK
Reaches full production in 0 years. Acceptable payback.
Insurance Available
Federal crop insurance or an equivalent risk product is available.
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 | $271/$/ton |
| Gross Revenue/Acre | $1,077 |
| Annual Operating Cost | $568/acre |
| Establishment Cost | $568/acre |
| Total Input Cost | —/acre |
| Net Return/Acre | — |
| Revenue/Labor Hour | — |
| Crop Insurance | Available |
Source: USDA NASS Vegetables 2025 Summary (Feb 2026), New York state tables. Price: NY processing $271/ton 2025. Gross: NY all-utilization value / harvested acres ($14.541M / 13,500 ac). Net nulled — legacy value untraceable. Legacy cost estimates retained. (2025)
Risk Profile
Manageable Pest/Disease
1 of 7 documented risks are high-severity (14%) against a catalog median of 36%. Risk load is manageable by conventional IPM.
Market Diversified
6 viable market channels of 6 documented, plus 2 named buyers. Not dependent on a single outlet.
Low Establishment Risk
0 years to full production at $0/ac establishment cost. 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
disease
Fungal disease producing white cottony growth on stems and pods. Develops hard black sclerotia that persist in soil for years. Favored by dense canopies and prolonged wet conditions.
Multiple soilborne pathogens cause pre- and post-emergence damping off, root decay, and stunted growth. Worst in cool, wet, compacted soils. Can cause significant stand loss.
Bacterial diseases causing water-soaked spots on leaves and pods, reducing quality and yield. Spread by rain splash, wind-driven rain, and contaminated seed. Includes common blight, halo blight, and brown spot.
pest
Sap-feeding insects that stunt growth, cause leaf curl, and transmit Bean Common Mosaic Virus (BCMV) and other viral diseases. Heavy infestations reduce pod quality.
Larvae bore into bean stems and pods, causing structural damage and pod contamination. Particularly problematic in late-season plantings near corn fields.
weather
Plants are killed by light frost. Temperatures above 80°F (27°C) cause blossom drop and reduce pod set. Optimal growth occurs between 60-70°F (15-21°C). Narrow window for ideal conditions.
Inadequate moisture during flowering and pod fill causes blossom drop, poor pod set, and fibrous pods. Snap beans have shallow root systems and are less drought tolerant than dry beans.
Nutritional Yield
Macronutrients
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per acre |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 31 kcal | 841,432 kcal |
| Protein | 1.8 g | 49,672 g |
| Total fat | 0.2 g | 5,971 g |
| Carbohydrates | 7 g | 189,187 g |
| Fiber | 2.7 g | 73,286 g |
| Sugar | 3.3 g | 88,486 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 Snap Bean →
Avoid near, or plan around (47)
Grows with (13)
Tolerates (2)
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 →
89 tracked changes across 10 data categories
