How To Make Your Greenhouse Pay For Itself
18th Nov 2024
Have you been to the grocery store lately? Isn’t it starting to feel a bit like you’re getting robbed when you walk in and see those prices? Wouldn’t it be great if you could just grow your own food all year round? Wait, you can!
Growing in a greenhouse is not only fun and rewarding, it also has the benefit of providing you with amazing food year-round. Of course you can grow outside too, and when the weather permits, that’s a great idea. The only problem is the weather patterns lately are getting less predictable, but predictable is what you need to grow a successful crop.
A greenhouse gives you a level of control over temperature, wind, and water that you don’t have by growing outside. I addition to the climate control your greenhouse provides, you can also add a heater in the winter for growing in the cold months, and bring in a fan and shade systems for cooler growing conditions in the summer months.
Whether you grow from start to finish in your greenhouse, or just get your seedlings cranking for outdoor transplanting, a greenhouse can afford you many options for growing your own food.
As of Jan 2023 in Auckland, here are some average grocery store produce prices per kg:
| Watermelon: | $6/kg | Tomatoes: | $10/kg |
| Kiwi fruit: | $8/kg | Red Onions: | $10/kg |
| Oranges: | $6/kg | Bagged spinach: | $40/kg |
| Lemons: | $11/kg | Lettuce: | $6/head |
| Limes: | $48/kg | Bagged Salad Greens: | $33/kg |
| Passionfruit: | $40/kg | Bagged Salad Mix w/dressing: | $20/kg |
| Mangos: | $8 ea | Chives: | $266/kg |
| Blueberries: | $50/kg | Garlic: | $43/kg |
| Strawberries: | $20/kg | Grapes: | $15/kg |
If your average family of 4 is spending roughly $400/month on produce, that’s about $5000 anually that you’re spending on produce and it’s like renting versus buying. You can start to see how the ‘cost’ of the greenhouse looks more like an investment than a cost. Sure, you could just go along spending the $5k or so annually on produce, or you could invest in a greenhouse which could potentially allow you to produce that much or more every year (honesty box out front of your property for the neighbors?).
Seeds cost next to nothing, and you can use the ones you produce on your crop which makes them free. And if you’re looking for some ways to get your kids off their screens, what better way than teaching them to grow their own food? They’d probably be much more likely to eat those greens too, if they’ve grown them themselves! You can enjoy a new hobby and produce food for your family, and let your greenhouse pay for itself. So what are you waiting for? Find your perfect greenhouse today!