Table grapes in Zones 5-8 use cold-hardy Labrusca types like Niagara or hybrids like Reliance, Himrod; require well-drained soils, full sun, lake moderation for winter hardiness.
Crop Snowflake Score
/acre
/acre
/acre
years
Overview
Growing Season
- Plant
- early spring – early spring
- Harvest
- mid-August to late September – mid-August to late September
- Frost-free days
- 150+
- GDD (base 50°F)
- 2,000
Yield
- Typical yield
- 5 tons/acre
- Productive lifespan
- 22 years
- Years to full prod.
- 4
- Labor
- 176 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
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
4 of 6 documented market channels rate viable or better (farmers_market, direct_to_consumer, retail, restaurant). Multiple independent routes to market.
Value-Added Potential
3 viable direct-market channels (farmers_market, direct_to_consumer, restaurant). 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 5-8; region spans 5-6. Overlaps.
GDD Sufficient
Crop needs 2500 GDD (base 50F); region accumulates 2500+. Sufficient.
Precipitation Compatible
Crop needs ~22 in; region receives ~38 in/yr. Compatible, irrigation available as supplement.
Frost-Free Season OK
Crop needs 135 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 4 hardiness zones (5-8). Narrow range (4 zones) offers less buffer if the region warms out of 8.
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, high-severity risks. 6 criteria evaluated; 83% cited.
Limited by high-severity risks. 6 criteria evaluated; 83% cited.
Limited by high-severity risks. 6 criteria evaluated; 83% cited.
Climate envelope & site
What the farm matcher compares your conditions against.
Climate envelope
- Hardiness zone
- 4–8
- Frost-free season
- 150+ days
- Heat (GDD base 50°F)
- 2,000+
- Winter chill
- 100–600 hours
- Rainfall
- 35.4–59.1 in/yr
Below the minimum, irrigation is needed; above the maximum the crop fails.
- Soil pH target
- 5.5–7.0
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
- 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
4 of 12 documented equipment items are crop-specific (33%) against a catalog median of 29%. Above-median share of purpose-built equipment, implying real capital outlay.
Storage Available
2 documented storage routes; at least one (Cold storage with SO2 fumigation) is reachable with conventional on-farm or third-party facilities.
Irrigation Compatible
Requires ~22 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
56 labor hr/ac vs catalog 75th percentile 250 hr/ac. Manageable with typical farm labor.
Processing Proximity
2 processor/cooperative buyers on record for this crop, 2 within NY/PA/OH.
Equipment Requirements
planting
A permanent trellis (e.g., high-cordon or vertical shoot position) is required to support vines and fruit.
Sets trellis end and line posts during vineyard establishment.
Digs planting holes for dormant vines at establishment.
cultivation
Manages the weed-free strip beneath the trellis.
Maintains cover-cropped or sod row middles for access and erosion control.
spraying
Delivers the season-long fungicide/insecticide program into the canopy.
irrigation
Supplemental irrigation for establishment and fruit sizing on droughty sites.
harvesting
Table grapes are hand-harvested with shears into shallow lugs to protect clusters.
Protects ripening fruit from bird damage in the weeks before harvest.
post_harvest
Rapid cooling and cold storage extend the short shelf life of fresh clusters.
general
Narrow orchard/vineyard tractor for spraying, mowing, and cultivation between rows.
Annual dormant pruning and canopy management require hand and pneumatic pruners.
Storage Requirements
Cold storage with SO2 fumigation
Temperature
30–32°F
Humidity
90–95%
Max Storage
84 days
Cold storage without SO2 (short-term)
Temperature
30–32°F
Humidity
90–95%
Max Storage
21 days
Financial Return
Revenue Above Average
Gross revenue $6,500/ac vs catalog median $6,000/ac. Above median.
Input Costs Acceptable
Annual operating cost $2,700/ac vs catalog 75th percentile $6,300/ac. Within typical range.
Payback Period OK
Reaches full production in 4 years. Long establishment — capital tied up 4 years before full return.
Insurance Available
Federal crop insurance or an equivalent risk product is available.
Revenue Per Labor Hour
Net return per labor hour $26.79 ($1,500/ac over 56 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 | $280//ton |
| Gross Revenue/Acre | $6,500 |
| Annual Operating Cost | $2,700/acre |
| Establishment Cost | $18,000/acre |
| Total Input Cost | —/acre |
| Net Return/Acre | $1,500 |
| Revenue/Labor Hour | — |
| Crop Insurance | Available |
Source: Cornell Grape Program; Penn State Grape Business Management (2025)
Risk Profile
Manageable Pest/Disease
5 of 12 documented risks are high-severity (42%) against a catalog median of 36%. Above-median concentration of high-severity risk, demanding intensive management.
Market Diversified
4 viable market channels of 6 documented, plus 2 named buyers. Not dependent on a single outlet.
Low Establishment Risk
4 years to full production at $18,000/ac establishment cost. Multi-year capital commitment before first full return.
Climate Resilient
Tolerates zones 5-8 (4 zones). Moderate tolerance; sensitive to years at the edge of its range.
Regulatory Burden Low
No crop-specific licensing or reporting regime beyond standard food-safety and pesticide rules.
Diversifies Portfolio
Concentrates rather than diversifies — grapes already dominate this region's cropping and revenue base.
Known Risks
disease
Guignardia bidwellii causes rapid fruit rot in warm wet springs and can destroy entire clusters if unmanaged.
Erysiphe necator infects leaves, shoots, and berries, cracking fruit and ruining table appearance.
Plasmopara viticola defoliates vines and rots young clusters under humid, rainy conditions.
Early-season lesions on rachis and shoots weaken clusters and reduce fruit set.
Gray mold rots tight table-grape clusters near harvest, especially in wet finishes.
pest
Larvae feed inside berries, opening entry points for rot and downgrading fresh clusters.
Root and leaf forms weaken vines; own-rooted vines on susceptible sites decline over time.
This invasive planthopper feeds heavily on grapevines, reducing vigor and winter hardiness where established.
Ripening table grapes are highly attractive to birds and deer, causing direct crop loss.
weather
Table-grape cultivars vary in hardiness; severe cold kills buds and trunks in colder zones.
Frost after bud break kills primary shoots and reduces the crop.
market
Fresh table grapes require hand harvest, careful handling, and rapid cooling for a short-shelf-life market.
Nutritional Yield
Macronutrients
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per acre |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 67 kcal | 2,887,116 kcal |
| Protein | 0.6 g | 27,148 g |
| Total fat | 0.3 g | 15,082 g |
| Carbohydrates | 17.1 g | 739,016 g |
| Fiber | 0.9 g | 38,782 g |
| Sugar | 16.3 g | 700,233 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
Soil health
- Cover-crop soil buildingmoderate
Row-middle cover crops add organic matter and improve infiltration between vine rows.
Evidence: Extension guidance·Confidence: medium
Erosion control
- Perennial cover with sod row middlesmoderate
Established vineyards with cover-cropped or sod row middles hold soil and reduce erosion on slopes.
Applies when: With vegetated row middlesEvidence: Extension guidance·Confidence: medium
Carbon sequestration
- Perennial woody biomassmoderate
Long-lived vines and permanent trunks store carbon in woody tissue and roots over the vineyard life.
Evidence: Peer-reviewed·Confidence: medium
Biodiversity
- Habitat from row-middle vegetationmoderate
Cover crops and vineyard margins support beneficial insects and ground-nesting fauna.
Applies when: When margins/covers maintainedEvidence: Extension guidance·Confidence: medium
Cultural / aesthetic
- Agritourism and scenic valuemoderate
Vineyards contribute scenic landscape value and support agritourism and u-pick experiences.
Evidence: Industry consensus·Confidence: medium
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 Table Grape →
Avoid near, or plan around (27)
Grows with (3)
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
National Grape Cooperative Association
Westfield, NY · 13.4 mi
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 11 data categories