How To Make $15 (Or More) Per Square Foot Growing Leafy Greens and Herbs

If you’re like many small growers, you know one of the biggest challenges is limited space. With only so many square feet to work with, choosing the right crops can make all the difference between modest sales and impressive profits. That’s why it’s essential for gardeners growing for market—whether at farmer’s markets, direct-to-consumer, or supplying local restaurants—to focus on crops that produce the highest income per square foot.

Using published market prices for organic produce along with proven harvest yields from intensive cultivation, we can identify which crops are the most profitable for small market growers. Some results may surprise you: cilantro and arugula can bring profits of over $20 per square foot, while common staples like carrots, radishes, and parsley often net less than $4 per square foot.

Let’s dive into the top winners and see which crops could be the most lucrative for your garden or small farm.

Why Leafy Greens and Herbs Dominate Profits

When the numbers were tallied, it became clear: the biggest winners were leafy greens and fresh herbs. These crops sell quickly, are always in demand, and can be harvested multiple times throughout the season. Farmers’ markets, specialty grocers, and restaurants consistently buy these fresh, high-quality greens at premium prices.

Interestingly, heirloom and cherry tomatoes also turned out to be surprisingly profitable, yielding around $15 per square foot—much higher than ordinary hybrid tomatoes. That means small growers can compete by focusing on gourmet, flavorful varieties.

Cilantro: The Top Money-Maker

At the top of the profitability list is cilantro (coriander), generating over $21 per square foot. Cilantro is widely used in Mexican, Indian, and Asian cuisine, and its popularity only continues to grow.

• Time to Harvest: 50–55 days

• Planting Tip: For a steady supply, sow new batches every two weeks.

• Varieties to Try: Look for slow-bolting varieties such as Santo or Calypso to withstand summer heat.

Cilantro is easy to grow, high in demand, and quick to bring to market. That makes it an ideal choice for growers looking to maximize small spaces.

Arugula: Fast and Flavorful

Next on the list is arugula (rocket or roquette). This spicy, peppery green is a favorite addition to salads and sells well as either baby greens or mature leaves.

• Time to Harvest: 3 weeks for baby greens, 6 weeks for mature leaves

• Selling Options: Loose, in blends, or in bunches at farmers’ markets

• Profit Potential: Over $20 per square foot

Because it grows so quickly, arugula offers an excellent turnover rate, allowing growers to plant and harvest multiple times per season.

Salad Mixes: Always in Demand

Gone are the days when iceberg lettuce dominated the salad world. Today’s customers want color, flavor, and texture, which makes salad mixes one of the most popular and profitable crops for small growers.

• High-Value Crops: Baby lettuces, mizuna, tatsoi, kale, Swiss chard, frisée, and radicchio

• Growing Advantage: Quick harvest (about 30 days) and multiple plantings possible each year

• Profit Potential: Often exceeds $15 per square foot

For extended growing seasons, many growers use hoop houses or high tunnels, allowing them to offer fresh greens nearly year-round. Mixes that include unusual or colorful greens—like Baby Red Swiss Chard or Asian blends with no lettuce at all—can sell at premium prices.

Chives and Dill: Profitable Culinary Herbs

Chives and dill are also reliable profit champs, averaging over $15 per square foot.

• Chives:

  • Time to harvest: About 90 days

  • Popularity: Consistently in demand for fresh cooking

  • Specialty Tip: Garlic chives (Gow Choy) and flowering varieties bring even higher prices.

• Dill:

  • Time to harvest: 45–55 days for flowers; 90–100 days for seeds

  • Uses: Culinary (pickles, sauces, fish), herbal remedies, and cut flowers

  • Varieties: Vierling for flowers, Bouquet for maximum leaf yield

Restaurants and local consumers often buy fresh herbs weekly, making these crops a steady income source.

Baby Lettuce: Fast Turnover, High Profit

Baby lettuce is another consistent money-maker, especially when sold in colorful blends.

• Time to Harvest: About 30 days

• Profit Potential: Over $15 per square foot due to quick turnover

• Popular Varieties: Red Oak Leaf, Green Romaine, Red Romaine, Green Oak Leaf, Red Leaf

Because lettuce can be harvested quickly and replanted multiple times, growers can achieve several crops in one season, especially when using hoop houses to extend the growing window.

Gourmet Tomatoes: A Surprise Profit Star

While herbs and leafy greens dominate, certain types of tomatoes deserve a spot on the list. Cherry tomatoes, salad tomatoes, and heirloom varieties can yield profits of over $15 per square foot.

• Why They Sell: Consumers are willing to pay top dollar for flavor-packed, gourmet tomatoes that taste nothing like the bland supermarket varieties.

• Best Varieties:

  • Cherry: Gold Nugget, Yellow Pear, Tomatoberry

  • Heirlooms: Yellow Brandywine, Black Prince, Striped German

Growers who focus on unique shapes, colors, and exceptional taste will always find a loyal market for their tomatoes.

Why These Crops Work for Small Growers

What do all these profitable crops have in common?

1. High demand and consistent marketability.

2. Quick turnover or multiple harvests per year.

3. Premium pricing due to freshness, uniqueness, or flavor.

For small growers, these qualities make it possible to maximize limited space and generate reliable income.

Choosing the right crops can turn even a small garden plot into a profitable business. From fast-growing cilantro and arugula to flavorful salad mixes, herbs, and gourmet tomatoes, these plants bring top dollar at farmers’ markets, restaurants, and local grocers.

If you’re ready to explore specialty crops further, there are dozens more worth considering—from mushrooms and lavender to ginseng and bamboo. Each has its own unique profit potential depending on your market and growing conditions.

For more insights, you can visit Profitable Plants Digest and download Craig Wallin’s free 50-page book, Specialty Crops for Small Growers: 14 Best Profitable Plants for Backyards and Small Acreage. Wallin, author of eight books on high-value crops, provides practical tips and inspiration for anyone looking to earn more from their growing space.

By focusing on high-value, high-demand crops, even small-scale growers can compete with larger operations and build a profitable market garden business.