Optimal Farm Household Labor Allocation of New and Beginning Vegetable Operations

In the United States, rising average ages of principal farm operators, declining numbers of new farmers, financial stressors, and labor burdens result in the majority of farmers relying on off-farm income to support their households. We use mixed integer programming scenario analysis to balance on-and off-farm labor to optimize profitability of small-scale vegetable operations. We find the opportunity cost for off-farm labor must be at least $40,622.40 per year; otherwise, the farmer will choose to work only on-farm. Educators and policymakers are encouraged to address the need for information to aid beginning farmers in making labor allocation decisions.