When you’re comparing all of the different options available for hydroponic farming out there, it’s important to focus on the metrics that matter.
Other companies will distract you with metrics that don’t tell the whole story – like plant numbers.
So, what information do you really need?
Find out in this video…
As you can see, this is a topic we are very passionate about because we’re sick and tired of useless production metrics being thrown around by other equipment manufacturers.
Unlike the other guys, we’re fortunate enough to work alongside our innovative Upstart Farmers who concern themselves with building a successful farming business. The USF’s don’t have time for useless metrics.
One example of a metric that doesn’t matter is the plant number. Actually, focusing on plant number can lead to failure. It’s easy to assume that a high plant number is the most important and theoretically profitable metric for a system. But it’s not, for the reasons we discussed in the video. Instead, focus on the metrics that actually matter.
Metrics That Matter
As mentioned, there are 3 good metrics to focus on.
- Production (Plant) Weight
- Growing Unit Square Footage
- Average Crop Prices
Production Weight
The first metric to consider is the product or plant, weight.
Produce managers and customers don’t buy a certain number of plants from you; they buy by the pound.
So, for example, how many pounds of lettuce or herbs will you be able to produce? And how long will it take you to produce this amount? How does this change between crops?
Production weight is an important metric to consider.
Growing Unit Square Footage
The second metric to consider is growing unit square footage.
How many square feet is required per production unit? Will this spacing effect the size and the health of your plant? Can they get adequate light at this spacing?
How will this spacing effect your laborers? Can they get in and access your system, and comfortably move around in order to perform pest control and other maintenance tasks?
The amount of square footage it will take to produce your product affects many key items, so take this metric into consideration.
Average [Local] Crop Price
The final metric to consider is the average crop price in local markets.
How can you add value to your crops that makes them stand apart from competitors? Can you use live sales to add value and deliver the freshest possible produce to your customers?
Consider the average local crop price in order to make smart decisions about your system and to determine ways to add value to your product.
Conclusion
While these three metrics may seem overwhelming, they’re really not. This is all information that is out there; it just needs to be gathered before you start your farm.
Don’t let anyone keep you in the dark on metrics that matter.
Remember, basing your farm investment solely on plant numbers is just setting your farm up for failure.
All together, these metrics are just a sliver of what you need to consider when planning your farm. If you’re interested in learning more, we cover this topic in a little more detail here.We’ll talk more about what to expect when you’re expecting to grow in the next lesson topic.