Harvesting a commercial broccoli crop
Harvesting is one of the largest production expenses. Profitability depends on developing an efficient way to harvest a high quality pack.
A Western Broccoli Harvest
"Broccoli is one of the easiest vegetables to harvest because it grows on plants that are about waist-high, so workers don't have to bend over completely to cut the unopened, densely compacted flower buds that people eat. The plants grow two rows to a bed in lush fields that extend for hundreds of acres. From a distance, workers, organized into crews of a few dozen, clad in bright yellow rain slickers to ward off the morning dew, seem to be plodding through the plants, hunched over, tiny specks of gold too few to make an impact on so much green. Up close, any illusion of sluggishness dissolves before the athletic spectacle of the broccoli cut.
The heads of green compacted buds, 3 to 6 inches in diameter, shoot off the main stalk of the plant, sheltered by the broad leaves at the top and hidden among the long leaves that surround the buds before they flower. Not all the heads mature the same time, and only through keenness of sight can the harvesters – most of them are men – quickly find the ones that are ready to cut. The harvester grabs the head with one hand while the with the other he thrusts the short, broad knife downward, cutting the leaves away from the stalk, then with a sideways stroke of the knife he cuts the head off the plant leaving just the right length of stalk below the wide unopened flower. He stretches his fingers to grab another head with the first still in his grip and cuts the second stalk. Depending on his quick judgment of the size of the heads in the proximity of the next one ready to cut, he may even grab and cut a third head while holding the other two in his extended hand. Finally he throws the heads onto a conveyor belt moving through the fields, or onto a small platform pulled by a tractor, or into a metal framed basket on his back as he looks ahead for the next by mature enough to be harvested. Each cut takes about three seconds; in an average eight hour day he might cut 11,000 heads of broccoli."
From: Bardacke, F. 2012. Trampling out the vintage. Verso Books. Used with permission of the publisher.
A conveyor system harvest aid that allows workers to pick continuously increases labor efficiency about three-fold. These devices involve a large financial commitment and will probably be used primarily by larger growers who produce broccoli year after year. Western growers use highly specialized teams for broccoli harvest, and mechanized harvest aids for sorting and boxing. (See description in box.)
Harvesters must judge head diameter and select only those heads that meet the criteria of the buyer of the crop. Heads that are malformed or becoming loose because they are past optimal maturity should be skipped.
The stem should be cut to the appropriate length for the customer. A common stem length for Eastern crown cut is 1 1/2 to 2 inches. Some customers prefer a shorter stem, and some will accept a longer stem. A longer stem results in a higher yield for the grower.
For bunches the stem will be considerably longer. After cutting, the leaves must be trimmed, either by pulling or by cutting with a knife. A glove that protects against cuts from the knife but still allows sufficient dexterity is a useful safety item.
Crowns are usually arranged in rows in the box for a neat appearance, minimized bruising, and better cooling. A standard box contains 21 to 22 pounds of crowns, though the nominal weight is 20 pounds. The exact number of heads will depend on the customer's requirements.
Field-packed broccoli should be brought to the cooling facility promptly. At summer harvest temperatures, quality can decline substantially in as little as an hour.
This YouTube video from the Georgia Farm Bureau shows harvest and postharvest activities of a commercial broccoli producer.
Harvest how-to from Margaret Bloomquist and Jeanine Davis at NCSU.
A simple, collapsible conveyor belt harvest aid is employed (in this case, for cauliflower harvest) in this YouTube video.