Learn how autonomous container farming works
One place for every MetroFarms guide, calculator and case study — from the hardware inside the container to the economics of running one as a business.
Everything you need to evaluate a container farm
Nine guides covering the product, the process and the numbers — read them in order, or jump straight to the one you need.
The System
What's inside the container — sensors, controls and the hardware that runs the farm.
How It Works
The delivery-to-harvest process: commissioning, autonomous growing and resupply cycles.
Crops & Yields
Which crops perform best in a container, and the yield assumptions behind our figures.
ROI & Economics
Revenue, opex and payback period — modelled on Dutch energy and produce pricing.
Case Studies
Real costs, yields and lessons from entrepreneurs already running MetroFarms units.
Sustainability & Impact
The water, energy and land case for container farming versus field production.
Pricing & Packages
What a unit costs, what's included, and how financing options work.
Model your farm before you commit
One calculator is live today; two more are on our build list as follow-up tools — we've marked those clearly below so you know exactly what's available now.
ROI & Economics CalculatorLive now
Enter your crop, price per kg, cycles per year, energy cost and labour cost to get annual yield, revenue, opex, payback period and ROI% — defaulted to Dutch energy pricing.
Open the calculatorYield & Crop PlannerComing soon
A planner to compare crop mixes and cycle counts against your target output. It isn't built yet — in the meantime, the Crops & Yields guide covers the same underlying assumptions.
Read Crops & Yields meanwhileEnergy CalculatorComing soon
A dedicated tool to estimate energy draw and cost by climate and crop cycle. Also not built yet — the ROI & Economics Calculator already includes an energy-cost input as a starting point.
Use the ROI calculator meanwhileFrom the MetroFarms grow-tech archive
Background reading on horticultural fundamentals from our wider grow-tech content — useful context alongside the B2B guides above, though written for a different, consumer-facing audience.
- LED grow light running costs What LED grow lights actually cost to run — relevant background if you're thinking about supplemental lighting and energy budgets.
- Hydroponic system chooser An interactive decision tool for comparing hydroponic system types — the same closed-loop principles that underpin a MetroFarms container.
- Indoor lettuce yield data A yield data study for indoor-grown lettuce, useful for sanity-checking the crop assumptions used across our guides.
People also ask
Where do I start if I'm new to container farming?
Start with The System for an overview of the hardware and controls, then How It Works to see the delivery-to-harvest process. From there, Crops & Yields and ROI & Economics let you model what a container could do for your site.
When will the Yield & Crop Planner be available?
It's in development as a follow-up to the ROI & Economics Calculator. In the meantime, the Crops & Yields guide covers the same crop and cycle assumptions the planner will use.
Is the ROI & Economics Calculator free to use?
Yes — it's live now on the ROI & Economics page, defaulted to Dutch energy pricing, with no sign-up required to see indicative payback and ROI%.
Book a demo and bring your own numbers
We'll walk you through a live unit, show real sensor and yield data, and help you model the economics for your site in the Netherlands.