MICROGREEN BUSINESS GUIDE · MARATHON, FL

Start a microgreen business in Marathon, FL.

Most Marathon residents do not realize that the Florida Keys are one of the toughest places in the country to get truly fresh produce, which makes them one of the best places to grow it. Sitting in the middle of the island chain in Monroe County, Marathon's restaurants pay a premium because everything has to travel a long way down US 1. Fresh greens arrive wilted and expensive, if they arrive at all. A local indoor grower solves a problem the entire island chain feels.

Quick Answer

You can start a microgreen business in Marathon with under $400 in initial equipment and grow it into a $1,500 to $4,200 per month side income within 90 days. Here is the local demand picture, the unit economics at Marathon wholesale prices, and the operating system used by working microgreen farms.

When produce has to ride all the way down US 1 to reach Marathon, have you ever wondered how fresh those greens really are by the time a chef opens the box?

What Marathon buys today

Restaurants and chefs throughout the Middle Keys are your strongest first market precisely because shipping fresh produce here is so hard. Marathon's kitchens, and others toward Big Pine Key, pay a premium for freshness and will lock in a standing order with any grower who can deliver living greens at peak quality without the long truck ride.

Farmers markets, fish markets, and tourist-facing retail give you a second channel and excellent pricing. Visitors and locals alike pay a premium in the Keys, so a clamshell of fresh microgreens sells quickly while introducing you to the chefs and caterers who place larger orders.

Keys heat, humidity, and salt air make outdoor leafy growing nearly impossible, which is exactly why indoor microgreens win here more than almost anywhere. Climate controlled racks deliver clean trays year round, so your supply is the most reliable fresh produce on the island.

If kitchens from Big Pine Key up toward Key Largo all fight the same shipping problem, what would they pay for greens grown right here in the Keys?

The math, in Marathon prices

Wholesale microgreens move to Florida Keys kitchens at roughly $28 to $40 per pound, with the islands' shipping costs pushing local pricing toward the high end.

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 Marathon pricing.

Break-even week

Week 4

First positive cash week. Most growers hit it.

What that looks like in Marathon square footage

A 10 by 10 foot room is enough to run a profitable operation in Marathon, holding dozens of trays on a steady weekly harvest cycle.

Have you noticed how much harder and pricier fresh produce is to get on the island, yet almost nobody is growing microgreens locally to fix it?

Three things every working microgreen farm in Marathon 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 Marathon 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 Marathon. 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 Marathon 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 Marathon farm on. The growing happens in your basement.

Try Grown Like A Pro free for 30 days →

Marathon microgreen FAQ

How much can I make growing microgreens in Marathon?
A working microgreen farm in Marathon 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 FL?
Yes. In most of Florida, 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 Florida Department of Agriculture before you sign a wholesale contract.
What microgreens sell best in Marathon?
Sunflower, pea shoots, and radish are the three highest-volume sellers in nearly every U.S. city, including Marathon. 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 Marathon?
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 Marathon's climate. Vertical shelving is the fastest path to higher revenue per square foot.
What is the best app for tracking microgreen production in Marathon?
Grown Like A Pro is the operating system used by working microgreen farms in Marathon. 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 Marathon 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 Marathon?
For farmers market and direct-to-consumer sales in Marathon, most growers operate under Florida'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 Marathon?
Restaurant wholesale in Marathon 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 Marathon restaurants currently buy.

Related guides

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

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