This extended web series has been great overall. However, here are some real numbers for growing strawberries, using a 1-acre example: Strawberry roots can be found for close to $.17 each if you buy in large 1,000 quantities of cultivars. Add in an arm and a leg for shipping. For 1 acre you are looking at up to 15,000 plants give or take. 1 acre of bareroot plants will cost around $2,550, plus about 1,000 in shipping depending where you are form the supplier. That’s ~$3,500 for 1 acre, just the plants. A first-time strawberry farmer should not do more than 1 acre in my opinion. I started with ¼ acre. Using plugs? A whole lot more expensive. The plastic mulch for 1 acre should run you about $600-800 with shipping. The drip tape for 1 acre would be around $400-600. A capable bed shaper will cost around $5,000 delivered. I like my Berryhill Drip Irrigation shaper. This size can be pulled by a 30 hp tractor. I use a 33 hp and it pulls and shapes with absolute ease. Cover crop such as rye grass will run about $150 for 1 acre. Frost covers about $1,200 per acre plus a lot in shipping. (take care of them and use for multiple years) NPK fertilizers about $300-$600 per acre. Get your soil tested before dumping fertilizer; about $20 per test at some Universities, a small cost to know your soil. Plus shipping your dirt to them. If you have deer anywhere near you, put up fencing. ~$1,200 for cheap netting and poles per acre (reuse these). Plenty of people can tell you they will wipe out your entire crop overnight. (search youtube) Protect your investment! Irrigation supplies vary based on need, but I would budget at least $500 per acre on valves, fittings, etc. Much of this can be a one-time cost. Fungicides and pesticides ~$500 for 1 acre. Plastic 1lb clamshells for selling the berries are about .15 per container. These numbers do not reflect other equipment and prep costs such as a rotatory tiller, plastic mulch lifter, a tractor, water pumps and inlet plumbing, water (hopefully you have a well already), etc. Don’t worry about calculating a profit, you won’t make one the first season, but the 2nd season you could start making a decent profit if you can market the berries. Your annual expenses will primarily be roots/plugs, plastic mulch, drip tape, fertilizer, lime if your pH is not right, cover crop seed, strawberry packaging material, replacement irrigation parts, insecticides and fungicides.
I live in Texas where prices are reasonable. A lot of these estimates seem OLD. For example, a U-pick for 1.67/pound? They are typically $3 now, certainly not less than $2. $55 in lime for 5 acres? No way. Less than $40 for cover crop? Way off. $3,400 for transplants? Maybe for 1 acre and no delivery cost. At 60,000 plants for 5 acres, this would mean they got plugs for $.06. Nope! Not even in the ballpark. This video and spreadsheet need to be updated, its laughable. In the real world these numbers are almost comical. Academics…..
This budget is currently being updated with recent prices and was originally developed in 2014. All budgeting tools should be adapted based on true on-farm costs, as prices vary dramatically even within the same region. Check back in early 2022 for the updated budget tool developed by NCSU.
This extended web series has been great overall. However, here are some real numbers for growing strawberries, using a 1-acre example:
Strawberry roots can be found for close to $.17 each if you buy in large 1,000 quantities of cultivars. Add in an arm and a leg for shipping. For 1 acre you are looking at up to 15,000 plants give or take. 1 acre of bareroot plants will cost around $2,550, plus about 1,000 in shipping depending where you are form the supplier. That’s ~$3,500 for 1 acre, just the plants. A first-time strawberry farmer should not do more than 1 acre in my opinion. I started with ¼ acre. Using plugs? A whole lot more expensive.
The plastic mulch for 1 acre should run you about $600-800 with shipping. The drip tape for 1 acre would be around $400-600. A capable bed shaper will cost around $5,000 delivered. I like my Berryhill Drip Irrigation shaper. This size can be pulled by a 30 hp tractor. I use a 33 hp and it pulls and shapes with absolute ease.
Cover crop such as rye grass will run about $150 for 1 acre. Frost covers about $1,200 per acre plus a lot in shipping. (take care of them and use for multiple years) NPK fertilizers about $300-$600 per acre. Get your soil tested before dumping fertilizer; about $20 per test at some Universities, a small cost to know your soil. Plus shipping your dirt to them.
If you have deer anywhere near you, put up fencing. ~$1,200 for cheap netting and poles per acre (reuse these). Plenty of people can tell you they will wipe out your entire crop overnight. (search youtube) Protect your investment!
Irrigation supplies vary based on need, but I would budget at least $500 per acre on valves, fittings, etc. Much of this can be a one-time cost. Fungicides and pesticides ~$500 for 1 acre. Plastic 1lb clamshells for selling the berries are about .15 per container.
These numbers do not reflect other equipment and prep costs such as a rotatory tiller, plastic mulch lifter, a tractor, water pumps and inlet plumbing, water (hopefully you have a well already), etc.
Don’t worry about calculating a profit, you won’t make one the first season, but the 2nd season you could start making a decent profit if you can market the berries.
Your annual expenses will primarily be roots/plugs, plastic mulch, drip tape, fertilizer, lime if your pH is not right, cover crop seed, strawberry packaging material, replacement irrigation parts, insecticides and fungicides.
I live in Texas where prices are reasonable. A lot of these estimates seem OLD. For example, a U-pick for 1.67/pound? They are typically $3 now, certainly not less than $2. $55 in lime for 5 acres? No way. Less than $40 for cover crop? Way off.
$3,400 for transplants? Maybe for 1 acre and no delivery cost. At 60,000 plants for 5 acres, this would mean they got plugs for $.06. Nope! Not even in the ballpark. This video and spreadsheet need to be updated, its laughable.
In the real world these numbers are almost comical. Academics…..
This budget is currently being updated with recent prices and was originally developed in 2014. All budgeting tools should be adapted based on true on-farm costs, as prices vary dramatically even within the same region. Check back in early 2022 for the updated budget tool developed by NCSU.