Why I Quit My Microgreens Business — And What I Do Instead
- Connor did not walk away from selling microgreens because the business failed; he pivoted because the mission had outgrown the model.
- The turning point was realizing that selling the finished product gave people greens, while teaching them to grow gave them confidence, skills, and control.
- Microgreen businesses can be profitable, but growers must manage perishability, local regulations, packaging, cleaning, and reliable demand.
- Island Microgreens now focuses on grow kits, education, seed refills, and a movement that helps families grow fresh food at home.
Are you thinking about starting a microgreen business? I did. In fact, I built one. By the time I was 14, I had restaurants, markets, and customers lining up to buy from me. The business worked, the demand was real, and the numbers made sense.
But something still felt off. I started growing microgreens for my own health, and during COVID I wanted to help others access clean, fresh food they could trust. No pesticides. No mystery produce. Just nutrient-dense greens grown locally. Then my mom asked me a question that stopped me in my tracks: does your mission match what you are doing?
Watch Connor’s Full Story
Connor shares the full story behind the business pivot, the mission shift, and why teaching people to grow became more meaningful than simply selling greens.
The Question That Changed the Business
When my mom asked whether my mission matched what I was doing, it hit me hard. I was giving people the product, not the power. I was giving them fish when what I really wanted to do was teach them to fish.
That realization created two choices. I could change the mission statement to fit the business model, or I could start living the mission more honestly. I chose the second path. I pivoted from primarily selling harvested microgreens to teaching people how to grow their own.
The New Path: Empowerment Through Kits
I took everything I had learned from years of growing, including the systems, methods, failures, restaurant relationships, and customer feedback, and turned that knowledge into microgreen grow kits. The goal was simple: make it easy for anyone to grow fresh food at home, even people who swear they have a brown thumb.
Microgreens are uniquely beginner-friendly because they grow quickly, do not require weeding, do not depend on perfect outdoor weather, and can be grown right on a countertop. A kit turns the process into a simple system instead of a confusing experiment.
What changed after the pivot?
- Families began growing together instead of only buying finished greens.
- Kids who did not like vegetables started eating what they grew themselves.
- Customers came back for refills, more kits, education, and better health habits.
- The business moved from one-time transactions toward long-term transformation.
Yes, I gave up some profit up front. But I gained something bigger: purpose. Long-term, that is more profitable, more meaningful, and more aligned with why Island Microgreens exists.
We are also cutting out 98% of the single-use plastics from our kits thanks to a grant from FedEx. That work is phase two of our three-phase plan to go 100% plastic-free. Growing microgreens is not just a business anymore. It is becoming a movement.
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Microgreen Business Reality Check
If you are thinking about starting a microgreen business, the opportunity is real. Microgreens can have fast turnaround times, strong restaurant appeal, and relatively low startup costs compared with many agricultural businesses. But the model is not effortless. You are selling fresh produce, which means perishability, food safety, cleaning, harvesting, packaging, delivery, and customer consistency all matter.
The better question is not simply whether microgreens are profitable. The better question is what kind of microgreen business matches your mission. Some growers should sell to chefs. Some should serve local families. Some should teach, create kits, run workshops, or build community programs. The model should support the mission, not the other way around.
| Business Path | Best Fit | Main Challenge | Purpose Angle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurant sales | Growers with consistent production and strong local chef relationships | Quality, delivery timing, and variety consistency | Help chefs plate fresh, local, high-impact ingredients |
| Farmers markets | Outgoing growers who enjoy face-to-face selling | Weekend labor, sampling, and unsold inventory risk | Educate local families while selling fresh greens |
| Subscription or CSA boxes | Growers who can build recurring local demand | Retention, logistics, and predictable harvest planning | Make healthy greens part of a weekly routine |
| Grow kits and education | Mission-driven growers who want to teach | Product design, instructions, fulfillment, and customer success | Give people the power to grow their own food |
Do I Still Sell Microgreens?
Yes. I still grow and sell microgreens for a few restaurants, including Cucina South, and I still love seeing basil microgreens topping their dishes. Not everyone wants to grow, and some people simply need a fresh, reliable supply.
So yes, I serve both. But the heart of the business is teaching. The mission is not just to put microgreens on plates. The mission is to help people grow their own health.
Do not begin with trays and logos alone. Begin with your mission, your customer, your local regulations, and your repeat sales plan. Profit follows clarity much more reliably than it follows excitement.
From Selling to Serving
The one decision that changed everything was simple: I stopped selling as the focus and started serving as the mission. That pivot from profit to purpose transformed the business and gave me a reason to keep showing up every day.
If you are ready to start growing microgreens yourself, join the free Microgreen Masterclass at ameliaislandmicrogreens.com/101. I will teach you what I have learned from 14 years of growing, whether you want to start a microgreen business or simply grow fresh food for your health.
Microgreen Business FAQs
Is a microgreen business profitable?
Yes, a microgreen business can be profitable because microgreens have fast crop cycles, relatively low startup costs, and strong demand from chefs, health-focused consumers, and local buyers. Profitability depends on consistent customers, efficient growing systems, smart pricing, food-safe handling, and minimizing waste.
Why did Connor Hiebel quit focusing on selling microgreens?
Connor did not stop because the business failed. He shifted focus because his mission was to empower people to grow their own health, and selling harvested microgreens gave customers the product rather than the power to grow it themselves.
Do I need a license to grow and sell microgreens?
Licensing depends on where you live and how you sell. Many people can grow microgreens at home for personal use without a license, but selling to restaurants, farmers markets, grocery stores, or the public may require a business license, food handler permit, insurance, inspection, or local health department approval.
Which microgreens are most profitable to sell?
Popular profitable microgreens include sunflower, pea shoots, radish, broccoli, basil, cilantro, mustard, and amaranth. Fast crops like radish can create quick turnover, while specialty crops like basil or chef-focused varieties may command higher prices.
What is the biggest downside of selling microgreens?
The biggest downside is perishability. Microgreens must be harvested, stored, packaged, delivered, and sold quickly. If demand is inconsistent or production is poorly timed, unsold trays can become waste.
How much can one tray of microgreens sell for?
A standard 10x20 tray may sell for roughly $15 to $30 at retail or $20 to $40 wholesale to restaurants depending on variety, quality, region, packaging, and customer relationship. Yield varies by crop and growing method.
Who can I sell microgreens to?
Microgreens can be sold to restaurants, chefs, farmers market customers, grocery stores, co-ops, direct local delivery customers, CSA members, schools, community centers, and health-focused consumers.
Are microgreens a good side hustle?
Microgreens can be a strong side hustle because they can be grown indoors, harvested quickly, and sold locally. However, success still requires consistent sales, safe handling, repeat customers, and a clear reason for buyers to choose you.
Do microgreens keep producing after harvest?
Most microgreens are single-harvest crops. After cutting, growers usually compost the roots and replant the tray. The short 7 to 14 day cycle allows frequent harvests even though most trays do not regrow for repeated cutting.
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