agricultural planning expert a model of farm strongenterprisestrong.pdfVIP

SOUTHERN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS DECEMBER 1990 AGRICULTURAL PLANNING EXPERT: A MODEL OF FARM ENTERPRISE SELECTION Richard A. Levins and Winston T. Rego Abstract profitable, and many farmers must find alternatives Agricultural Planning Expert is a software model if they are to survive. designed for advising small-scale farmers in A series of interviews with farmers within the southern Maryland. Choosing farm enterprises is region was first conducted to determine which per- modelled as consisting of four activities: suggesting sons were sought out for advice in choosing enterprises for consideration, investigating the enterprises. All of the farmers interviewed expressed suitability of enterprises, allocating resources to respect for and confidence in the advice provided by suitable enterprises, and controlling the overall the two agents in the St. Marys County Extension direction of an advising session. Office. These two agents had many years experience in teaching agriculture to farmers and high school Key words: enterprise selection, resource students. They lived and worked in St. Marys Coun- allocation, computer software, farm ty and were frequent visitors to farms in the county. planning In addition to their individual advising of farmers, the agents taught an annual six-night course on farm INTRODUCTION