Beet (Table)
Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris
A cool-season root vegetable grown for both its sweet, earthy root and nutritious greens. Table beets are fast-maturing (55-70 days), frost-tolerant, and well-suited to Zones 2-10. They thrive in a wide range of climates and perform especially well as spring and fall crops. Beets are valued in fresh, processing, and value-added markets, with strong demand from farm-to-table restaurants and juice producers.
Crop Snowflake Score
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Overview
Table beets are one of the most versatile and reliable vegetable crops for small and mid-scale diversified farms. They tolerate light frost (down to about 25°F / -4°C for established plants) and can be seeded as soon as soil is workable in spring. Successive plantings every 2-3 weeks extend the harvest season. Beets are biennial but grown as annuals. Each "seed" is actually a multigerm cluster containing 2-4 seeds, requiring thinning. Monogerm varieties reduce thinning labor. Popular varieties include Red Ace, Detroit Dark Red, Chioggia, and golden-rooted types for specialty markets. Beets can be bunched with greens for premium fresh-market pricing or topped and sold by the pound for storage/processing. Fall-harvested beets store well for months in cold storage, enabling winter market sales. The greens are an additional revenue stream and can be sold separately as cooking greens.
Growing Season
- Plant
- early April – mid July
- Harvest
- late June – late October
- Frost-free days
- 55+
- GDD (base 50°F)
- 700 – 1,000
Yield
- Typical yield
- 14,000 lbs/acre
- Productive lifespan
- 1 years
- Labor
- 200 hrs/acre
Market Fit
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Market Channels
Climate Fit
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Soil Compatibility
Soil Texture
Drainage
Infrastructure Fit
Scoring data for this axis is being loaded.
Equipment Requirements
planting
Jang or Earthway-type seeder for accurate spacing. Critical for reducing thinning labor.
cultivation
For between-row weed control. Essential in the first 4 weeks before canopy closure.
harvesting
Mechanical undercutting for larger-scale operations. Small-scale farms can hand-pull or use a broadfork.
post_harvest
Barrel washer or spray table for cleaning roots before market.
Storage Requirements
Fresh cold storage (topped)
Temperature
32–34°F
Humidity
95–98%
Max Storage
180 days
Fresh cold storage (bunched with greens)
Temperature
32–34°F
Humidity
95–98%
Max Storage
14 days
Finance Fit
Scoring data for this axis is being loaded.
Economics Breakdown
| Avg Price/Unit | $1/lb |
| Gross Revenue/Acre | $7,000 |
| Annual Operating Cost | $4,500/acre |
| Establishment Cost | $0/acre |
| Total Input Cost | $4,500/acre |
| Net Return/Acre | $2,500 |
| Revenue/Labor Hour | — |
| Crop Insurance | Available |
| Subsidies | EQIP, Specialty Crop Block Grant |
Source: Cornell Cooperative Extension, USDA NASS Crop Values 2024 (2025)
Risk Fit
Scoring data for this axis is being loaded.
Known Risks
disease
The most economically important disease of table beets. Causes circular spots with gray centers and purple-brown borders on leaves. Reduces photosynthesis and root size. Favored by warm, humid conditions.
Soilborne fungal disease causing dark, sunken lesions on roots. Can cause significant storage losses. More prevalent in warm, wet soils.
pest
Small jumping beetles that create shothole damage on leaves. Heavy feeding on young seedlings can kill plants. Adults overwinter in crop debris and surrounding vegetation.
environmental
Beets have an unusually high boron requirement. Deficiency causes black, corky internal spots (internal black spot) and cracked, rough roots. More common in alkaline or sandy soils.
Nutritional Yield
Nutrition data pending.
Research agents will profile Beet (Table) 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.
Nearby Buyers
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: Cornell Cooperative Extension Vegetable Program, Oregon State Extension, UMN Extension, USDA NASS
Economics data year: 2025 · Region: lake_erie View economics source →
21 tracked changes across 8 data categories