Reduced Risk Rotations for Fresh Vegetable Crops: An Analysis for the Sand Mountain and Tennessee Valley Regions of Alabama

Abstract

AbstractA mixed integer linear programming model was developed to simulate the decision environment faced by an entry-level vegetable producer contemplating production for the whole-sale market. The model included activities which permitted consideration of 13 vegetable crops within a spring, summer, and fall rotational system. Rotations were permitted within given bounds established by marketing, rotational, and price risk constraints. Rotations were generally stable with respect to markets and relative to crop mixes as target income and acceptable negative deviation levels were varied. Spring and fall broccoli and turnip greens and late spring-summer yellow and zucchini squash were dominant crops in the triple crop rotations in the Atlanta and Cincinnati markets.