It was a pleasure to have worked on the world’s first broccoli harvester – we were the first ever team to use it. There are two broccoli harvesters in existence, the brainchild of Joe Cook, our employer. The broccoli harvester was made by Tasmanian company Dobmac. They operate in Tasmania and New Zealand. Dobmac Website Read more about Working On The World’s First Broccoli Harvester…[…]
To be honest I only remember hearing the name “Walabadah” and thought it was some kind of joke. I don’t reckon I’ve even spelt it right there you know. But the fact is there is a farm close to Cressy called Walabadah and I worked there cutting broccoli. It happened to be the last field Read more about Broccoli Harvest: Walabadah[…]
Next up was Formosa Farm in Cressy. Located just off the main road from Cressy to Poatina, this farm meant a drive along a very narrow mud path and then down a steep hill, which in wet conditions was pretty dangerous! Ironic name too, I thought. The irony only to be lost on those not Read more about Broccoli Harvest: Formosa Farm[…]
A rough map as to where Lakehouse Farm is…it is actually quite a historic place to have worked in Tasmanian history, although when you’re spending your days slogging away cutting broccoli, the glamour of such as location eludes you. Lakehouse farm was a wee bit of a drive – it was in the middle of Read more about Working Wednesdays: Broccoli Harvest at Lakehouse Farm Near Cressy, Tasmania[…]
Once I moved to Poatina, Woodside was the first broccoli farm I worked on in this area. That’s the entrance to Woodside farm, with my colleague Jenny sitting on the back of my car having her lunch. The entrance to Woodside farm. The lonely road that Woodside Farm is on – a tranquil road which Read more about Working Wednesdays: Processed Broccoli Harvesting at Woodside Farm, Poatina, Tasmania[…]
Once you’ve worked in “weeding” in your life, I would have to say that most other jobs seem easy. I didn’t plan to do weeding, but while employed by Work Direct (A harvest and labouring work agency in Devonport, Tasmania) I told them I would do any job, and this often meant getting phone calls Read more about Weeding in Wesley Vale and Bishopsbourne[…]
Ask me 12 years ago if I thought I’d be working as a broccoli harvester when I’m 30, and I would simply have laughed at you! But there I was, aged 30, working on farms in Northern Tasmania as a broccoli harvester. Loving it. I got into it totally by chance, but through my insistence Read more about Broccoli Fields Forever[…]
Depending on your knowledge in life, Sassafras is either a type of tree, a type of tea, a type of soap or a village in Northern Tasmania. So where does that leave East Sassafras? And why? About 20 kilometres outside Devonport is where it leaves it. Broccoli farming being the reason why. So East Sassafras Read more about Broccoli Harvest: East Sassafras[…]