Guam imports roughly 90% of its food. Through an 18-month research project supported by Western SARE, Tiny Greens Guam partnered with Capitol Kitchen to find out whether locally-grown basil, turned into pesto, could give small-scale farmers a real path to increased income.
The short answer: yes. A small 150 sq ft setup can net an estimated $11,000-$24,000 a year processing basil into pesto, versus $1,000-$3,000 selling it fresh, and 93% of Guam consumers we surveyed said they’d buy it.
We tested three basil varieties, refined a pesto production process with Capitol Kitchen, and put together everything we learned into a free guide and video series, so other farmers can do this too.
Download the Free Guide (PDF)
Covers variety selection, soil prep, planting, pest management, harvesting, pesto production, food safety, and the full economic breakdown.
Watch the Video Series
A 5-part series covering basil planting, pest management, harvesting, making pesto, and preservation, start to finish.
Questions? Contact us at tinygreensguam@guhydro.com
This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 2023-38640-39571 through the Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under project number FW25-007. USDA is an equal opportunity employer and service provider.