Market garden supplying restaurants and shops
Run a full-time vegetable farm selling regular orders to local chefs, grocers and markets.
- C$15k-70k
- Full-time
- Own premises
Estimates for a small start in Canada, not guarantees.
What it is
A larger market garden of a few acres, with tunnels or a greenhouse to extend the season. You grow a planned range of crops and deliver on a weekly schedule to restaurants, independent grocers and food co-ops.
Your first three steps
- Talk to local chefs and grocers about what they would buy and at what price
- Secure land with water access and a place to wash and store produce
- Build a crop plan around confirmed orders and price a starter tunnel or cooler
Who pays
Restaurants, independent grocery shops, co-ops and farmers' market customers.
How it makes money
Wholesale prices on regular weekly orders, plus higher retail prices at a market stall. Season extension crops such as salad greens and storage vegetables help spread income over more months.
Skills that help
- Crop planning and succession planting
- Running tools and equipment safely
- Building relationships with buyers
- Costing and pricing produce
- Delivery and order management
Watch out for
- Check zoning, farm status and any provincial rules for farm businesses
- Check food safety expectations from buyers, such as wash station standards or farm food safety programs
- Commercial general liability insurance, and WCB/WSIB coverage once you hire, with rules varying by province
- Water access and a reliable cold storage setup
- Winter cuts income unless you plan storage crops or heated growing
- Seasonal workers and farm labour rules differ by province, so check before hiring
Deep research report · Canada
Everything you need to start: market garden supplying restaurants and shops
Researched with live web search for Canada: real startup prices, the licences and rules, what others charge, a break-even example, how to find your first customers and a 30-day launch plan. With sources.
- Startup costs with real prices
- Licences, registration and rules
- Pricing: what others charge
- Break-even example
- Finding your first customers
- 30-day launch plan
- Risks and how to reduce them
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to start a market garden supplying restaurants?
Startup costs are typically estimated at around $15,000 to $70,000 CAD, depending on acreage, whether you add tunnels or a greenhouse, equipment, water access and cold storage.
How much can a restaurant-supply market garden earn?
Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $2,000 to $10,000, depending on how many crops you grow, the number of regular buyers, and how well you plan for winter, when income can drop without storage crops or heated growing.
What rules and requirements should I check before supplying restaurants and shops?
Check zoning, farm status and provincial rules for farm businesses. Also check buyers' food safety expectations, such as wash stations or farm food safety programs, liability insurance, WCB/WSIB coverage and farm labour rules before hiring.
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