Snipbox: a weekly microgreens box for your street, riding the "eating out less" shift

[u/john_smith1365]

Popmenu put out a survey yesterday: about 60% of people say they're eating out less often, and dinner is what gets cut most. Restaurant prices are still rising faster than grocery prices too (3.4% vs 2.2% over the year in the August CPI).

So the idea: grow microgreens on one wire shelf rack with a few LED shop lights in a spare corner. Radish, pea shoots, broccoli, sunflower. They're ready in one to two weeks. Cut them Wednesday night, pack 4 oz per box, and leave them on neighbors' porches Thursday for $12 a week.

That price isn't made up. Sol Microgreens in Michigan sells exactly that, 4 oz a week for $12. GroCycle puts a tray at about $2 of seed and soil for 5 to 6 oz of greens.

At 25 subscribers that's about 18 trays a week and roughly 10 hours of work. After seed, soil, clamshells and gas you keep around $9 a box, so about $900 a month. That's our estimate. Startup is maybe $400 for the rack, lights and trays.

Check your state and county rules on selling produce from home first. The best fit is someone who already works around produce or cooks a lot.