MICROGREEN BUSINESS GUIDE · GRESHAM, OR

Start a microgreen business in Gresham, OR.

Most Gresham diners assume their microgreens come from somewhere in the Portland metro because the area sells itself on farm-to-table sourcing. The reality is the regional supply still leaves a freshness gap by the time those trays clear distribution and hit a walk-in. The east Multnomah County grower who plants close to the kitchens and harvests the morning of delivery walks straight into accounts that have been waiting on them.

Quick Answer

You can start a microgreen business in Gresham with under $400 in initial equipment and grow it into a $2,500 to $6,500 per month side income within 90 days, even from a spare room or insulated garage. Here is the east Portland metro demand picture, the unit economics at Pacific Northwest wholesale prices, and the operating system used by working microgreen farms.

If you walked through ten kitchens across downtown Gresham, the east Portland corridor, and the surrounding metro on a Tuesday and asked where their microgreens were cut, how many do you think could name a single local grower?

What Gresham buys today

Gresham anchors the east side of the Portland metro restaurant market, with chef-driven independents and modern American kitchens spreading downtown and along the corridor that ties into Portland proper. The Portland metro has one of the strongest farm-to-table dining cultures in the country, which means a local grower is not a hard sell here, it is the obvious sell.

The area also has a strong farmers market culture, anchored by the Gresham Farmers Market downtown and a network of weekend markets across the metro. That gives a new grower a direct-to-consumer outlet from week one and a way to build name recognition with chefs who shop those same markets.

Climate is a clean fit. Mild wet winters and warm dry summers mean a small indoor or insulated garage grow operation rarely fights extreme temperatures, which keeps your power bill predictable and your germination tight. A small dehumidifier handles the wet season, and stable indoor temps year round mean predictable harvests on every tray.

If another Portland metro grower locks in the Gresham and east Portland chefs over the next 90 days, what does that cost you in walked away revenue over the next two years?

The math, in Gresham prices

Gresham restaurant wholesale prices for microgreens track the Pacific Northwest range, with chef-driven and farm-to-table accounts paying noticeably above standard wholesale because of the freshness gap on regional product. Here is what the unit economics look like at conservative east Portland metro numbers.

Startup cost

$400

Trays, soil, seed, lights. Used gear cuts this in half.

Per-tray net

$20-$30

After seed, soil, packaging, delivery.

Trays per week

100

Target for $3K-$5K/mo at Gresham pricing.

Break-even week

Week 4

First positive cash week. Most growers hit it.

What that looks like in Gresham square footage

A 10 by 10 foot room with two vertical shelving units holds 60 to 80 active trays. That is enough to produce $3,000 to $5,000 per month in Gresham at standard wholesale prices. A two-car garage doubles it. A basement triples it.

Picture a Tuesday and Friday route that hits six east Portland kitchens inside a fifteen minute drive, plus a Saturday market table that sells out by ten, what does the rest of your week look like when that income is running clean?

Three things every working microgreen farm in Gresham runs on

  1. A seed density and watering plan you trust. The number one cause of failed trays for new growers is over- or under-seeding. The cheat sheet inside Grown Like A Pro gives you grams per 10x20, soak hours, blackout days, harvest day, and watering for sixty-one varieties.
  2. A rotation tracker. Once you are running thirty-plus trays per week, you cannot remember what is in blackout, what is in light growth, what harvests Tuesday. A spreadsheet works for the first month. After that you need a system that pings you the day before each harvest and reorders seed before you run out.
  3. A customer + invoice layer. Restaurants in Gresham want predictable weekly invoices and net-15 terms. Farmers market customers want clamshell tracking. Both want consistency. The app handles both.

The IKEA test

If you can follow an IKEA instruction sheet without screaming at the family, you can grow microgreens at a commercial level in Gresham. The steps are about that difficulty: open the box, lay out the parts, follow the picture, repeat. Trays are the bookcase. Seed is the dowels.

If you ever did struggle with the IKEA bookshelf, that is exactly why Glappy lives inside the app. Glappy is the in-app coach that breaks every step down barney style, in your own language, from "how do I plant my first tray" to "why is this tray going leggy at day five and what do I do about it tonight." Type the question, get a step-by-step answer. There is no question too basic. The whole point is that a Gresham grower starting today is not on their own.

What you are not buying

You are not buying a course. You are not buying a hype product. You are not buying seed from us, and you are not buying trays from us. We do not sell either. Grown Like A Pro is the operating system you run your Gresham farm on. The growing happens in your basement.

Try Grown Like A Pro free for 30 days →

Gresham microgreen FAQ

How much can I make growing microgreens in Gresham?
A working microgreen farm in Gresham produces $3,000 to $8,000 per month within 90 days of starting. The math: 100 trays per week, $20 to $30 net revenue per tray, harvested in a basement, garage, or spare room. The ceiling is set by how many restaurants and farmers market customers you can serve, not by the growing setup.
Is it legal to sell microgreens in OR?
Yes. In most of Oregon, microgreens fall under the state's cottage food law for direct-to-consumer retail at farmers markets and to private customers. Restaurant wholesale typically requires a basic food handler permit. Verify with the Oregon Department of Agriculture before you sign a wholesale contract.
What microgreens sell best in Gresham?
Sunflower, pea shoots, and radish are the three highest-volume sellers in nearly every U.S. city, including Gresham. Broccoli is the highest-margin variety because of its sulforaphane reputation with health-focused buyers. Specialty varieties like amaranth and shiso command premium pricing from chef-driven restaurants.
How much space do I need to grow microgreens in Gresham?
A 10 by 10 foot room with two shelving units holds 60 to 80 active trays, which is enough to produce $3,000 to $5,000 per month. A basement, garage corner, spare bedroom, or sunroom all work in Gresham's climate. Vertical shelving is the fastest path to higher revenue per square foot.
What is the best app for tracking microgreen production in Gresham?
Grown Like A Pro is the operating system used by working microgreen farms in Gresham. It handles seed density math, watering schedules, harvest timing, inventory, customer orders, and the financial side. Free 30-day trial with no credit card.
How long does it take to learn to grow microgreens commercially?
Most growers in Gresham are selling their first trays within 30 days of starting. Commercial proficiency, meaning you can run 50-plus trays per week without losing crops to mold or under-seeding, takes 60 to 90 days. The seed density and watering math is the single biggest predictor of how fast you get there.
Do I need a license to sell microgreens in Gresham?
For farmers market and direct-to-consumer sales in Gresham, most growers operate under Oregon's cottage food law with no special license. For wholesale to restaurants and grocery stores, you typically need a basic food handler permit, a sales tax permit, and depending on volume, an inspection from your county health department.
How do I price microgreens to restaurants in Gresham?
Restaurant wholesale in Gresham runs $1.50 to $2.50 per ounce for standard varieties, $3 to $5 per ounce for specialty varieties like shiso, micro basil, or amaranth. Sell by the pound for repeat accounts. Local fresh commands a premium over the shipped-in product that most Gresham restaurants currently buy.

Related guides

Once you have the Gresham math in your head, the next read is the density chart that drives every tray you plant.

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