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
/acre
/acre
/acre
years
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
Active Regional Buyers
No buyer on record for this crop in the catalog's buyer network.
Price Trend Stable/Up
3-year price trend recorded as "stable".
Supply Below Demand
No buyer network on record — cannot establish that regional demand absorbs additional supply.
Multiple Buyer Channels
0 recorded buyers and 4 documented market channels. Multiple routes to market.
Value-Added Potential
4 documented market channels, including value-added and direct-to-consumer routes.
Market Growth Projected
Mature vegetable market; growth over a 5-year horizon expected to track population rather than outpace it.
Market Channels
Climate Fit
Hardiness Zone Match
Crop tolerates zones 2-10; region spans 5-6. Overlaps.
GDD Sufficient
Crop needs 700 GDD (base 50F); region accumulates 2500+. Sufficient.
Precipitation Compatible
Crop needs ~18 in; region receives ~38 in/yr. Compatible, irrigation available as supplement.
Frost-Free Season OK
Crop needs 55 frost-free days; region provides ~180. Sufficient.
Chill Hours Met
Not applicable — annual crop has no winter chill requirement.
Climate Trend Favorable
Crop spans 9 hardiness zones (2-10). Wide adaptive range buffers against warming trend.
Soil Compatibility
Soil Texture
Drainage
Infrastructure Fit
Equipment Compatible
4 documented equipment requirements. Within range adaptable from general row-crop or orchard equipment.
Storage Available
2 documented storage/handling requirements, all achievable with conventional on-farm or third-party facilities.
Irrigation Compatible
Requires ~18 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
200 labor hr/ac vs catalog 75th percentile 250 hr/ac. Manageable with typical farm labor.
Processing Proximity
No processing or cooperative buyer on record for this crop; product would need to travel or be sold fresh.
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
Revenue Above Average
Gross revenue not recorded for this crop in lake_erie. Cannot establish it exceeds the catalog median of $5,500.
Input Costs Acceptable
Input cost not recorded; not penalising. Catalog 75th percentile is $5,387/ac.
Payback Period OK
Reaches full production in 0 years. Acceptable payback.
Insurance Available
No federal crop insurance recorded for this crop; risk sits with the grower.
Revenue Per Labor Hour
Cannot compute — net return 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 | $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
Manageable Pest/Disease
4 documented risk factors. Within the range manageable by conventional IPM.
Market Diversified
0 buyers, 4 channels. Not dependent on a single outlet.
Low Establishment Risk
0 years to full production. Low establishment exposure.
Climate Resilient
Tolerates zones 2-10 (9 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
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
Macronutrients
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per acre |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 43 kcal | 2,184,489 kcal |
| Protein | 1.6 g | 81,791 g |
| Total fat | 0.2 g | 8,636 g |
| Carbohydrates | 9.6 g | 485,668 g |
| Fiber | 2.8 g | 142,246 g |
| Sugar | 6.8 g | 343,422 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.
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 →
46 tracked changes across 8 data categories