Food banks are currently in trouble natiionwide due to cuts in social service programs by the federal government under the Trump administration. This article describes a program that enables a community to create a network of local indoor gardeners who supply fresh microgreens and adult leafy greens to a local food bank. It also teaches beginning indoor gardeners to grow a variety of nutritious edible plants within the home or business location, with optional additional training in commercial applications.

Growers' output is synchronized to demand using an online network application that organizes ordering, planting, cultivation, harvesting, and delivery. This program improves nutrition for food bank clients and creates numerous small home based or commercial enterprises that build local income.

Microgreens are young seedlings of edible vegetables and herbs typically harvested less than 14 days after germination. They are usually about 1-3 inches (5-7 cm) tall and come in a rainbow of colors, which has made them popular with chefs in recent years as garnishes. But they offer much more!

Researchers have found that microgreens like red cabbage, cilantro, and radish contain up to 40 times higher levels of vital nutrients than their mature counterparts. Although nutritional claims about microgreens abound on the Internet, this study is the first scientific evaluation of their nutritional content. Researchers say they were astonished by the results.

Other more traditional crops can include cabbage, kale, basil, spiniach and various lettuce varieties.

Because microgreens are more space-efficient and fast growing and require a lower capital investment to begin production, such mixed mature greens would typically be added as a second phase of development either by existing growers or new startups.

We want to estimate how much investment is needed to start a small, indoor microgreens garden, and how it might be financed.

Let's use a spare bedroom for our hypothetical garden, and let's apply for a line of credit — or even a credit card — to finance the purchase of equipment, tools, containers, seeds, etc. We estimate the initial capital requirement at $12,000, including equipment, training, testing, and a three-month startup with little or no sales.

To estimate what percentage of US households might qualify for a $12,000 line of credit, we need to consider the typical requirements lenders use for approval: credit score, income, and debt-to-income (DTI) ratio.

Credit Score Requirements:

Lenders usually require good to excellent credit for a $12,000 line of credit. For example, U.S. Bank requires a FICO score of 680 or above for a personal line of credit.

If a prospective gardener could show contingent purchase orders, a lender might be better sisposed to lend the funds.

Who Can Do This?

71.3% of Americans have a FICO Score of 670 or better. This suggests that roughly 70% of households meet the minimum credit score requirement for most mainstream lenders.

Income and Debt-to-Income Ratio:

While there is no strict income cutoff, lenders look for sufficient income to support repayment and a reasonable DTI ratio.

The median household income in 2022 was about $90,000, and most lenders are comfortable with a DTI ratio below 43% for large credit lines.

Households with lower incomes or higher existing debt may not qualify, even if their credit score is sufficient.

Access and Approval Odds:

Not every household with a good credit score and sufficient income will be approved, as lenders also consider employment stability, existing obligations, and sometimes require collateral for larger lines of credit.

Households with bad or fair credit may still qualify, but often face higher interest rates, stricter terms, or need a co-signer or collateral.

Estimated Percentage:

Given that about 70% of US adults have a FICO score of 670 or higher, and considering that some will not meet income or DTI requirements, a reasonable estimate is that 50% to 65% of US households could qualify for a $12,000 line of credit with mainstream lenders, assuming they meet other standard underwriting criteria.

This estimate is based on available credit score distributions and typical lender requirements. Actual approval rates will vary by lender and economic conditions, and some households outside this range may qualify through alternative or subprime lenders, though often on less favorable terms.

By forming a cooperative or similar entity, a group of independent producers might be able to use their combined strength to improve their chances of finding appropriate financial partners.

Downsizing for Startup

It may be practical for a gardener to start with a single production unit (the above plan has four units). This drops the required investment to only about $6,600 with an out-of-pocket expense under $3,000, though it would necessarily decrease monthly income by the amount of repayment. The operator would then reinvest (half?) of the monthly surplus in the expansion of capacity. This would provide a slower startup, but it might be easier on all parties as they develop expertise and procedures.

Hydroponically grown vegetables can be an efficient way to improve the quantity, quality, nutrition and freshness of produce in food bank packages. The cost of entry is low; a food bank can implement a model quickly, and local growers can be recruited to produce vegetables at a profit, creating income in the local community.

Estimates were prepared using AI data retrieval.