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.