1 00:00:02,069 --> 00:00:03,337 - [Narrator] Harevesting provides humans 2 00:00:03,470 --> 00:00:05,839 with over 2 billion tons of fruit and vegetables every year. 3 00:00:05,973 --> 00:00:08,342 It's one of the most crucial industries on the planet. 4 00:00:08,475 --> 00:00:09,576 - [Dennis] It's dangerous work up there, 5 00:00:09,710 --> 00:00:11,578 one slip and they could end up in a world of hurt. 6 00:00:11,712 --> 00:00:14,481 - [Narrator] These high tech wonders have transformed 7 00:00:14,615 --> 00:00:19,653 America's 2 million farms into a $140 billion industry. 8 00:00:20,020 --> 00:00:21,522 - [Mitch] You're talking about the ability to harvest 9 00:00:21,655 --> 00:00:23,657 4,000 or so bushels an hour. 10 00:00:23,790 --> 00:00:25,826 - [Narrator] From optical fruit sizers 11 00:00:25,959 --> 00:00:28,495 to computer controlled corn picking combines. 12 00:00:28,629 --> 00:00:32,432 You'll never shop for produce the same way again, 13 00:00:32,566 --> 00:00:34,067 on "Modern Marvels." 14 00:00:34,201 --> 00:00:37,104 (electronic music) 15 00:00:46,179 --> 00:00:48,949 (upbeat music) 16 00:00:49,082 --> 00:00:51,685 - [Narator] Every year, from spring until fall, 17 00:00:51,818 --> 00:00:54,221 California's fruit harvest is in high gear. 18 00:00:59,826 --> 00:01:03,030 At Reimer Farms in California's San Joaquin valley 19 00:01:03,163 --> 00:01:04,531 they're picking nectarines. 20 00:01:08,168 --> 00:01:10,470 For all growers, stretching the harvest season 21 00:01:10,604 --> 00:01:13,206 means raising different varieties of the same fruit. 22 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:15,576 - We have varieties planted specifically 23 00:01:15,709 --> 00:01:18,345 throughout the different times of the season 24 00:01:18,478 --> 00:01:19,980 to fulfill those different time slots 25 00:01:20,113 --> 00:01:22,382 for providing fruit to the marketplace. 26 00:01:22,516 --> 00:01:23,584 So a typical variety of nectarines 27 00:01:23,717 --> 00:01:27,087 may harvest for two to three weeks. 28 00:01:29,156 --> 00:01:30,657 - [Narrator] A good harvest depends on fruit 29 00:01:30,791 --> 00:01:31,658 that looks and tastes its best. 30 00:01:34,294 --> 00:01:36,897 To add maximum appeal to a nectarine, 31 00:01:37,030 --> 00:01:39,833 most growers line the orchard rows with strips of Mylar. 32 00:01:41,501 --> 00:01:43,770 The reflective surface concentrates the sun's rays 33 00:01:43,904 --> 00:01:46,506 into the tree canopy, promoting photosynthesis 34 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:48,809 and increasing the sugar content 35 00:01:48,942 --> 00:01:50,711 and color quality of the fruit. 36 00:01:50,844 --> 00:01:51,812 - And then that's when the fruit's 37 00:01:51,945 --> 00:01:53,780 actually going through its sizing process. 38 00:01:53,914 --> 00:01:55,382 It's when it's developing its sugar, 39 00:01:55,515 --> 00:01:56,750 developing its color. 40 00:01:56,917 --> 00:01:59,052 And so we're trying to maximize its environment 41 00:01:59,186 --> 00:02:02,489 during that particular critical time point before harvest. 42 00:02:03,724 --> 00:02:05,692 - [Narrator] As the workers begin picking, 43 00:02:05,826 --> 00:02:07,361 growers will spot check the fruit 44 00:02:07,494 --> 00:02:09,997 to verify their decision to start harvesting. 45 00:02:11,898 --> 00:02:13,700 - So what we'll do when we're trying to decide 46 00:02:13,834 --> 00:02:14,601 whether we're harvesting properly is 47 00:02:14,735 --> 00:02:16,903 we'll sample them with a penetrometer 48 00:02:17,037 --> 00:02:18,438 to see what the flesh firmness is 49 00:02:18,572 --> 00:02:21,742 to determine whether we are picking the level we want. 50 00:02:21,875 --> 00:02:24,978 So we just quickly just shave a piece of the skin off. 51 00:02:25,112 --> 00:02:27,481 And then we use this plunger to push in there. 52 00:02:27,614 --> 00:02:30,617 And the force that it takes to push that in 53 00:02:30,751 --> 00:02:32,786 will then determine the flesh firmness. 54 00:02:32,919 --> 00:02:34,588 This one rated at 11. 55 00:02:36,790 --> 00:02:38,525 - [Narrator] Picking is no longer the last step 56 00:02:38,658 --> 00:02:39,793 in the harvest. 57 00:02:39,926 --> 00:02:41,628 In many cases, it's just the beginning. 58 00:02:46,166 --> 00:02:47,634 This 10 acre packing facility 59 00:02:47,768 --> 00:02:49,936 operates three state of the art packing lines 60 00:02:50,070 --> 00:02:53,774 for boxing peaches, plums, blueberries, 61 00:02:53,907 --> 00:02:56,977 apples, and many other fruits. 62 00:02:59,780 --> 00:03:01,548 Today, it's nectarines and pomegranates. 63 00:03:04,684 --> 00:03:08,789 In one shift, the workers can back up to 120,000 boxes 64 00:03:08,922 --> 00:03:10,957 of fruit on two lines. 65 00:03:12,492 --> 00:03:14,428 All of it sorted, according to size, color, 66 00:03:14,561 --> 00:03:16,630 and degree of ripeness. 67 00:03:18,632 --> 00:03:20,500 - We become almost the warehouse for the grocery store. 68 00:03:20,634 --> 00:03:23,336 So they'll give us an order and give us 69 00:03:23,470 --> 00:03:25,839 only like a one or two day lead time to pack it, 70 00:03:25,972 --> 00:03:28,341 put it on a truck and get it over to anywhere 71 00:03:28,475 --> 00:03:29,576 in the United States. 72 00:03:29,710 --> 00:03:31,411 - [Narrator] Once a piece of fruit is picked, 73 00:03:31,545 --> 00:03:33,447 its limited lifespan 74 00:03:33,580 --> 00:03:35,649 sparks the race to preserve freshness. 75 00:03:37,751 --> 00:03:40,087 Here, sophisticated post-harvest handling 76 00:03:40,220 --> 00:03:43,924 is a way to stall for time, starting with a cold shower. 77 00:03:45,926 --> 00:03:48,628 The hydro-cooler pours frigid 32 degree water 78 00:03:48,762 --> 00:03:50,530 over the fruit to reduce its internal temperature 79 00:03:50,664 --> 00:03:51,765 and slow down decay. 80 00:03:54,501 --> 00:03:57,637 - This is absolutely crucial in maintaining good quality. 81 00:03:57,771 --> 00:03:59,673 In the harvest season in California in the summertime, 82 00:03:59,806 --> 00:04:02,676 our temperatures can be well over 90 degrees Fahrenheit, 83 00:04:02,809 --> 00:04:04,544 even a hundred degrees Fahrenheit. 84 00:04:04,678 --> 00:04:06,613 And the fruit will lose quality quite quickly. 85 00:04:06,746 --> 00:04:09,116 It will dry and lose sugars. 86 00:04:12,486 --> 00:04:13,987 - [Narrator] The cooled fruit quickly makes its way 87 00:04:14,121 --> 00:04:17,090 onto the sorting line for a quick wash and wax. 88 00:04:19,860 --> 00:04:20,961 After it's rinsed, 89 00:04:21,094 --> 00:04:23,363 it's sprayed with a vegetable oil product 90 00:04:23,497 --> 00:04:24,631 to help prevent moisture loss 91 00:04:24,764 --> 00:04:26,867 during the long journey to the supermarket. 92 00:04:31,471 --> 00:04:33,006 Before sizing begins, 93 00:04:33,140 --> 00:04:34,508 inspectors use their highly trained senses 94 00:04:34,641 --> 00:04:37,444 to remove the subpar fruit. 95 00:04:37,577 --> 00:04:40,447 - As they touch it, they're looking for a soft shoulder 96 00:04:40,580 --> 00:04:42,883 or soft tip on the fruit 97 00:04:43,016 --> 00:04:45,418 that would bruise or damage easily 98 00:04:45,552 --> 00:04:47,554 and could later decay in transit. 99 00:04:47,687 --> 00:04:50,524 So that piece of fruit that's a little bit too soft 100 00:04:50,657 --> 00:04:51,658 is then removed. 101 00:04:54,528 --> 00:04:55,929 - [Narrator] The rejects are diverted 102 00:04:56,062 --> 00:04:57,497 and will later produce juices, jams, 103 00:04:57,631 --> 00:04:59,833 and other processed products. 104 00:05:03,770 --> 00:05:04,804 The fruit that passes inspection 105 00:05:04,938 --> 00:05:08,141 continues its journey to the high speed sorting line. 106 00:05:10,710 --> 00:05:12,712 For centuries, farmers have sorted fruit 107 00:05:12,846 --> 00:05:15,315 to achieve uniform shipping weights 108 00:05:15,448 --> 00:05:17,083 and to satisfy consumer preference. 109 00:05:18,985 --> 00:05:21,755 The first packing houses used crude sizers, 110 00:05:21,888 --> 00:05:24,024 with wooden slats or holes 111 00:05:24,157 --> 00:05:26,560 through which the smaller sized fruits would drop. 112 00:05:30,063 --> 00:05:32,666 Today, the optical fruit sizer is a faster, 113 00:05:32,799 --> 00:05:33,867 more accurate method. 114 00:05:36,570 --> 00:05:39,873 The fruit is first diverted onto a single file cup conveyor, 115 00:05:40,006 --> 00:05:41,875 moving at about 10 pieces per second. 116 00:05:44,044 --> 00:05:45,879 As it passes into the sorter, 117 00:05:46,012 --> 00:05:49,850 each piece is rotated and photographed by two lenses. 118 00:05:49,983 --> 00:05:52,886 An infrared lens gathers shape and dimensional data 119 00:05:53,019 --> 00:05:57,657 and a color lens collects the color qualities of the fruit. 120 00:05:57,791 --> 00:06:00,160 The camera quickly snaps 25 photos 121 00:06:00,293 --> 00:06:02,596 to create a two dimensional projection of the entire fruit. 122 00:06:04,764 --> 00:06:07,567 From this picture, the computer interprets its exact size, 123 00:06:07,701 --> 00:06:09,469 shape, and color. 124 00:06:09,603 --> 00:06:11,738 - Now we've got a full look at it 125 00:06:11,872 --> 00:06:13,707 and then we can determine if the amount of color 126 00:06:13,840 --> 00:06:15,709 that we see, red versus yellow, 127 00:06:15,842 --> 00:06:18,445 is the appropriate color that's desirable for packing. 128 00:06:18,578 --> 00:06:20,447 And that's helpful in markets where we want to send fruit 129 00:06:20,580 --> 00:06:24,517 of a uniform size, color and shape. 130 00:06:26,486 --> 00:06:27,454 - [Narrator] Once the computer obtains the mugshots 131 00:06:27,587 --> 00:06:30,023 of a certain piece of fruit, 132 00:06:30,156 --> 00:06:32,626 a timing device triggers a lifting finger 133 00:06:32,759 --> 00:06:35,362 that deposits the fruit into a specific lane 134 00:06:35,495 --> 00:06:36,663 according to size and color. 135 00:06:39,266 --> 00:06:41,468 This high tech sorter delivers nearly identical fruit 136 00:06:41,601 --> 00:06:44,204 to each of many packing lines. 137 00:06:45,739 --> 00:06:47,507 After a final human inspection, 138 00:06:47,641 --> 00:06:50,210 the fruit is hand packed in a variety of boxes. 139 00:06:54,481 --> 00:06:55,849 - [Kelvin] Then it's conveyed by forklift 140 00:06:55,982 --> 00:06:58,385 into a cold storage room where it's stored 141 00:06:58,518 --> 00:06:59,452 at an ideal or optimum temperature 142 00:06:59,586 --> 00:07:02,389 that actually puts the fruit to sleep. 143 00:07:02,522 --> 00:07:06,026 Once the fruit is in that condition or in that state, 144 00:07:06,159 --> 00:07:07,994 it's in the best environment to be transported 145 00:07:08,128 --> 00:07:10,430 from California to the various markets in the Midwest 146 00:07:10,563 --> 00:07:12,899 or the east coast. 147 00:07:15,669 --> 00:07:17,537 - [Narrator] The packing house can even hold boxed fruit 148 00:07:17,671 --> 00:07:19,806 at a higher temperature to force ripening. 149 00:07:22,842 --> 00:07:25,445 Sophisticated post-harvest handling of fruit 150 00:07:25,578 --> 00:07:27,614 is a progression and a ritual 151 00:07:28,581 --> 00:07:29,883 that has remained otherwise unchanged 152 00:07:30,016 --> 00:07:30,984 over thousands of years. 153 00:07:32,786 --> 00:07:36,523 This Egyptian tomb drawing dated at 1900 BCE 154 00:07:36,656 --> 00:07:39,459 depicts two workers harvesting a fig tree. 155 00:07:39,592 --> 00:07:42,462 - The key components of harvest are the same. 156 00:07:42,595 --> 00:07:45,765 One's picking the fruit and then putting it into a basket. 157 00:07:45,899 --> 00:07:48,034 The other is sorting the fruit 158 00:07:48,168 --> 00:07:50,437 and putting it into a consumer package. 159 00:07:50,570 --> 00:07:54,474 The practices involved in picking and packing 160 00:07:54,607 --> 00:07:58,445 are basically still the same and haven't changed. 161 00:07:58,578 --> 00:08:01,948 (gentle music) 162 00:08:03,550 --> 00:08:04,451 - [Narrator] Ancient Egypt is one of the birthplaces 163 00:08:04,584 --> 00:08:05,485 of horticulture. 164 00:08:09,556 --> 00:08:12,058 The first growers learned to irrigate their fields 165 00:08:12,192 --> 00:08:15,028 by tapping the Nile River's seasonal floods. 166 00:08:15,161 --> 00:08:16,863 But without modern technologies, 167 00:08:16,996 --> 00:08:19,466 these growers were faced with the problem of spoilage. 168 00:08:21,568 --> 00:08:23,470 - They didn't have refrigeration, 169 00:08:23,603 --> 00:08:24,804 and they didn't have canning. 170 00:08:24,938 --> 00:08:26,673 They didn't have these other processes 171 00:08:26,806 --> 00:08:28,942 to preserve the harvested crop. 172 00:08:29,075 --> 00:08:32,612 So the crop had to either be consumed fresh 173 00:08:32,746 --> 00:08:37,717 soon after harvest or dried and stored dry. 174 00:08:39,152 --> 00:08:40,487 - [Narrator] China was the birthplace of temperate fruits, 175 00:08:40,620 --> 00:08:45,859 such as peaches and pears more than 4,000 years ago. 176 00:08:45,992 --> 00:08:47,460 The Greeks and Romans oversaw thriving fruit trade 177 00:08:47,594 --> 00:08:49,796 throughout the Mediterranean. 178 00:08:51,598 --> 00:08:54,734 When Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 79 CE, 179 00:08:54,868 --> 00:08:56,369 the Romans were cultivating extensive orchards 180 00:08:56,503 --> 00:08:59,472 including peaches, citrus trees, and grapes 181 00:08:59,606 --> 00:09:01,674 on the volcano's slopes. 182 00:09:03,676 --> 00:09:04,844 During the middle ages, 183 00:09:04,978 --> 00:09:07,781 monks were the most sophisticated growers. 184 00:09:07,914 --> 00:09:09,949 They practiced the skills of tree grafting 185 00:09:10,083 --> 00:09:12,552 and cross breeding to produce new varieties of fruit trees. 186 00:09:14,687 --> 00:09:17,757 The colonists brought Europe's fruit tree saplings 187 00:09:17,891 --> 00:09:18,958 to the new world, 188 00:09:19,092 --> 00:09:21,394 but the true American orchard revolution 189 00:09:21,528 --> 00:09:23,663 was again fueled by monks. 190 00:09:26,232 --> 00:09:28,401 As the Spanish moved north into California 191 00:09:28,535 --> 00:09:31,304 and established missions in the 1600s, 192 00:09:31,438 --> 00:09:33,573 the monks took advantage of the dry climate 193 00:09:33,706 --> 00:09:36,076 and raised large orchards of grapes, figs, 194 00:09:36,209 --> 00:09:38,678 peaches, pears, and apricots. 195 00:09:39,846 --> 00:09:43,016 As settlers moved to California in the 1800s, 196 00:09:43,149 --> 00:09:46,486 the orchards fanned out to supply the new urban centers 197 00:09:46,619 --> 00:09:49,155 of Los Angeles and San Francisco. 198 00:09:50,490 --> 00:09:52,492 Growers also planted in the Sierra Foothills 199 00:09:52,625 --> 00:09:54,561 to feed the influx of gold miners. 200 00:09:55,728 --> 00:09:59,732 California fruit production exploded in the 1890s 201 00:09:59,866 --> 00:10:00,633 when refrigerated railroad cars 202 00:10:00,767 --> 00:10:03,336 allowed growers to ship fresh fruit 203 00:10:03,470 --> 00:10:05,205 to the huge east coast markets. 204 00:10:08,007 --> 00:10:09,476 But in the coming decades, 205 00:10:09,609 --> 00:10:13,012 the small family operated farm would nearly vanish. 206 00:10:13,146 --> 00:10:14,481 - Farms began to get bigger 207 00:10:14,614 --> 00:10:16,583 primarily because of competition. 208 00:10:16,716 --> 00:10:20,520 There's a continuing pressure to reduce the price of fruits 209 00:10:20,653 --> 00:10:24,691 and vegetables at retail market. 210 00:10:24,824 --> 00:10:27,560 And that means the farms generally have to get larger 211 00:10:27,694 --> 00:10:30,997 in size to take advantage of economies of scale. 212 00:10:35,068 --> 00:10:36,903 - [Narrator] Large vertically integrated growing 213 00:10:37,036 --> 00:10:38,538 and packing operations are now the standard 214 00:10:38,671 --> 00:10:40,607 in US fruit production. 215 00:10:40,740 --> 00:10:43,776 But labor remains the most unpredictable 216 00:10:43,910 --> 00:10:45,912 and expensive cost for growers, 217 00:10:46,045 --> 00:10:49,883 especially when balancing a need to pay a decent wage 218 00:10:50,016 --> 00:10:51,651 while providing affordable produce for consumers. 219 00:10:56,823 --> 00:10:58,091 Beginning in the 1960s, 220 00:10:58,224 --> 00:11:01,594 engineers from the University of California at Davis 221 00:11:01,728 --> 00:11:04,597 began testing a multitude of mechanical fruit harvesters. 222 00:11:07,767 --> 00:11:10,336 Various tree shakers and shake-and-catch machines 223 00:11:10,470 --> 00:11:12,505 were very effective at harvesting fruit quickly. 224 00:11:15,141 --> 00:11:17,877 But the percentage of damaged fruit was unacceptable. 225 00:11:21,781 --> 00:11:23,349 Half a century later, 226 00:11:23,483 --> 00:11:26,152 there are still no commercially viable mechanical harvesters 227 00:11:26,286 --> 00:11:28,621 for picking many types of fresh fruit. 228 00:11:28,755 --> 00:11:31,524 One solution may be a man machine interface 229 00:11:31,658 --> 00:11:34,027 that allows laborers to more efficiently access 230 00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:34,994 the tree canopy. 231 00:11:38,665 --> 00:11:41,734 Here, a pear grower and engineers from UC Davis 232 00:11:41,868 --> 00:11:44,504 are testing a modified European built platform 233 00:11:44,637 --> 00:11:45,738 in Northern California. 234 00:11:49,709 --> 00:11:51,611 The machine offers six moveable picking platforms 235 00:11:51,744 --> 00:11:54,214 at three different heights 236 00:11:56,749 --> 00:11:58,952 allowing the harvesters to move laterally 237 00:12:00,119 --> 00:12:01,487 or up and down inside the tree canopy. 238 00:12:01,621 --> 00:12:04,457 - So the workers, instead of placing fruit into bags 239 00:12:04,591 --> 00:12:06,626 and delivering it to bins, 240 00:12:06,759 --> 00:12:07,460 would place fruit two or three at a time 241 00:12:07,594 --> 00:12:09,929 into little feeder conveyors 242 00:12:10,063 --> 00:12:11,965 that fed into a main elevator. 243 00:12:14,667 --> 00:12:17,103 At the top of the main elevator, 244 00:12:17,236 --> 00:12:19,372 the fruit would go into what's called a bin filler 245 00:12:19,505 --> 00:12:22,475 where the fruit is lowered and placed into a rotating bin, 246 00:12:22,609 --> 00:12:26,546 which ensures even distribution of the fruit in the bin. 247 00:12:30,650 --> 00:12:32,919 - [Narrator] By eliminating the need to carry heavy ladders 248 00:12:33,052 --> 00:12:35,622 and picking bags, the platform might expand 249 00:12:35,755 --> 00:12:36,923 the potential workforce. 250 00:12:38,291 --> 00:12:39,492 It could also improve employee safety 251 00:12:39,626 --> 00:12:42,662 by reducing hazardous working conditions 252 00:12:42,795 --> 00:12:44,430 and injuries from ladder falls, 253 00:12:44,564 --> 00:12:47,266 a major problem for many growers. 254 00:12:50,803 --> 00:12:52,505 The harvesting platform has already gained a firm footing 255 00:12:52,639 --> 00:12:55,408 in Europe where hand labor has been in short supply 256 00:12:55,541 --> 00:12:57,243 for decades. 257 00:13:02,915 --> 00:13:05,952 - [Narrator] In the Midwest, America's biggest harvest 258 00:13:06,085 --> 00:13:07,820 has eliminated handpicking 259 00:13:07,954 --> 00:13:08,988 and put the farmer at the wheel 260 00:13:09,122 --> 00:13:12,558 of a computer controlled maximum efficiency machine. 261 00:13:16,963 --> 00:13:19,899 Nebraskan John Sandahl is harvesting corn 262 00:13:20,033 --> 00:13:22,168 in a John Deere 12 row combine. 263 00:13:25,605 --> 00:13:27,674 The air conditioned cab may seem cushy 264 00:13:28,808 --> 00:13:32,078 and combining corn may look a bit like mowing the lawn 265 00:13:32,211 --> 00:13:34,447 but this harvest demands a sharp eye 266 00:13:34,580 --> 00:13:36,149 and fast decision making. 267 00:13:37,617 --> 00:13:39,485 - While harvesting corn, I'm scanning the corn head 268 00:13:39,619 --> 00:13:42,622 all the time, watching for objects in the field, 269 00:13:42,755 --> 00:13:45,892 make sure that all the row units are functioning properly. 270 00:13:46,025 --> 00:13:47,960 Pulling the corn stocks down through. 271 00:13:48,094 --> 00:13:51,431 And this corner post monitors all the functions 272 00:13:51,564 --> 00:13:52,565 of the machine. 273 00:13:52,699 --> 00:13:54,801 The first one down here has the engine RPM, 274 00:13:54,934 --> 00:13:56,669 the speed that I'm traveling, 275 00:13:57,837 --> 00:13:59,972 the middle one is the grain loss monitor. 276 00:14:00,106 --> 00:14:00,973 That's very important. 277 00:14:01,107 --> 00:14:04,811 It keeps track, monitors how much grain 278 00:14:04,944 --> 00:14:06,579 the combine is losing off the bat. 279 00:14:09,682 --> 00:14:11,517 - [Narrator] A small percentage of the harvested corn 280 00:14:11,651 --> 00:14:12,785 drops back in the field 281 00:14:13,886 --> 00:14:15,588 and the operator minimizes these losses 282 00:14:15,722 --> 00:14:17,457 by slowing down when necessary. 283 00:14:19,726 --> 00:14:22,595 The modern combine is a factory on wheels. 284 00:14:23,730 --> 00:14:25,598 As corn stalks enter the corn head, 285 00:14:25,732 --> 00:14:27,734 a series of rollers pulled down on the stalks 286 00:14:27,867 --> 00:14:29,602 and snap off the ears. 287 00:14:29,736 --> 00:14:32,305 An auger moves the ears into the combine 288 00:14:32,438 --> 00:14:34,841 where they're conveyed into the threshing mechanism. 289 00:14:36,676 --> 00:14:38,411 Here, a spinning rotor threshes the kernels, 290 00:14:38,544 --> 00:14:40,613 removing them from the cob 291 00:14:42,014 --> 00:14:44,584 while a strong fan blows out the leaves and chattel. 292 00:14:44,717 --> 00:14:46,619 The kernels are then conveyed to the 293 00:14:46,753 --> 00:14:48,121 combine's holding tank. 294 00:14:53,192 --> 00:14:57,730 On Sandahl's farm, the corn is offloaded onto trailers. 295 00:14:58,798 --> 00:15:00,466 The kernels are loaded into bins 296 00:15:00,600 --> 00:15:03,503 that will store the grain and complete the drying process. 297 00:15:06,406 --> 00:15:07,907 Corn is a crop with many uses, 298 00:15:08,541 --> 00:15:12,879 everything from tortillas to corn syrup, animal feed, 299 00:15:13,012 --> 00:15:16,349 and ethanol, a corn based alternative fuel 300 00:15:16,482 --> 00:15:18,818 that is boosting demand across the corn valley. 301 00:15:20,620 --> 00:15:23,723 More than 7,000 years ago, 302 00:15:23,856 --> 00:15:25,758 it was a decidedly simpler crop. 303 00:15:26,893 --> 00:15:28,594 In the region that is now Mexico, 304 00:15:28,728 --> 00:15:32,432 natives began harvesting a wild grass called teosinte. 305 00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:35,601 Over thousands of years, 306 00:15:35,735 --> 00:15:38,404 the meso Americans domesticated teosinte 307 00:15:38,538 --> 00:15:40,940 by sewing and reaping only the best kernels. 308 00:15:41,607 --> 00:15:43,709 It evolved into a hardier, 309 00:15:43,843 --> 00:15:47,713 more productive plant known as maize or corn. 310 00:15:49,515 --> 00:15:53,452 After its first migration north at about 1200 BCE, 311 00:15:53,586 --> 00:15:54,420 it would become the most important crop 312 00:15:54,554 --> 00:15:57,290 in American agriculture. 313 00:15:57,423 --> 00:15:58,558 - When the pilgrims first arrived, 314 00:15:58,691 --> 00:15:59,926 they planted in small hills, 315 00:16:00,059 --> 00:16:01,594 several seeds in a hill. 316 00:16:01,727 --> 00:16:03,296 They grew the corn, 317 00:16:03,429 --> 00:16:04,931 they harvested the ears and they ground it into flour. 318 00:16:05,064 --> 00:16:07,567 (gentle guitar music) 319 00:16:07,700 --> 00:16:08,668 - [Narrator] In the colonies, 320 00:16:08,801 --> 00:16:10,670 and for centuries that followed, 321 00:16:10,803 --> 00:16:11,537 corn was harvested by hand. 322 00:16:15,508 --> 00:16:17,343 The corn knife with an 18 inch blade 323 00:16:17,476 --> 00:16:20,746 was one of the original methods of the stalks. 324 00:16:22,782 --> 00:16:25,318 When farmers were picking only the ears, 325 00:16:25,451 --> 00:16:28,588 handheld hooks or pegs made of iron and bone 326 00:16:28,721 --> 00:16:30,056 were the standard tools. 327 00:16:32,558 --> 00:16:35,494 - This is a bone peg, probably used in 1890. 328 00:16:35,628 --> 00:16:38,598 They used anything that was sharp 329 00:16:38,731 --> 00:16:40,933 to open up the shuck at that time. 330 00:16:42,101 --> 00:16:43,402 - [Narrator] Gloves with embedded hooks 331 00:16:43,536 --> 00:16:44,637 later replaced the peg. 332 00:16:45,972 --> 00:16:48,241 - People in rural communities are very innovative. 333 00:16:48,374 --> 00:16:50,243 And so they were always looking for some way 334 00:16:50,376 --> 00:16:52,912 to do it better, to do it faster. 335 00:16:53,045 --> 00:16:55,481 The hooks and pegs allowed for faster harvesting 336 00:16:55,615 --> 00:16:59,685 because they could rip the shuck away from the ear, 337 00:16:59,819 --> 00:17:04,457 snap it and harvest it much quicker than just by hand. 338 00:17:06,692 --> 00:17:08,828 - [Narrator] Even today, many rural communities 339 00:17:08,961 --> 00:17:11,397 still celebrate the days of hand harvesting 340 00:17:11,530 --> 00:17:12,999 with husking bee competitions. 341 00:17:16,168 --> 00:17:18,738 Ted Martin is a former Nebraska state champion. 342 00:17:19,939 --> 00:17:22,942 - You grab the ear towards the end like this 343 00:17:23,075 --> 00:17:26,679 and come in with the hook crossways, open up the shucks. 344 00:17:26,812 --> 00:17:30,716 Then you peel 'em back and you snap the ear out 345 00:17:30,850 --> 00:17:31,550 and throw it. 346 00:17:31,684 --> 00:17:35,421 And it's all one motion, really. 347 00:17:39,525 --> 00:17:41,961 - [Narrator] A fast Husker could generally harvest 348 00:17:42,094 --> 00:17:44,697 about a 100 bushels or one acre of corn per day. 349 00:17:47,800 --> 00:17:50,603 But enormous advancements in agricultural technology 350 00:17:50,736 --> 00:17:52,505 allows modern farmers to dwarf this number. 351 00:17:56,976 --> 00:17:57,810 - [Narrator] Now we return to the fields 352 00:17:57,944 --> 00:18:01,113 here on Modern Marvels, Harvesting Plus. 353 00:18:01,681 --> 00:18:06,919 Tillers, combines, cultivators are just some 354 00:18:07,053 --> 00:18:09,588 of the innovative pieces of farming gear 355 00:18:09,722 --> 00:18:11,590 that have revolutionized harvesting in the modern era. 356 00:18:12,725 --> 00:18:15,361 But long before machines like tractors 357 00:18:15,494 --> 00:18:16,495 and harvesters took over, 358 00:18:18,064 --> 00:18:20,733 farming meant putting your shoulder to the wheel. 359 00:18:20,866 --> 00:18:23,002 For decades, nearly every farm was equipped 360 00:18:23,135 --> 00:18:24,904 with a hand operated corn sheller. 361 00:18:26,872 --> 00:18:29,108 - Okay, we've got a couple cobs of corn 362 00:18:29,241 --> 00:18:31,477 and we're looking at a hand powered corn sheller. 363 00:18:31,610 --> 00:18:33,846 That's about a hundred years old 364 00:18:33,980 --> 00:18:35,414 and we're gonna run a couple cobs through it. 365 00:18:35,548 --> 00:18:37,850 First, I'm gonna crank it up. 366 00:18:37,984 --> 00:18:39,986 Couple plates inside the machine 367 00:18:40,119 --> 00:18:41,721 going in opposite directions 368 00:18:41,854 --> 00:18:44,423 are gonna shear the kernels off. 369 00:18:48,227 --> 00:18:50,096 The corn kernels go down the bottom, 370 00:18:50,529 --> 00:18:52,865 the corn cobs come out the other end. 371 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:55,468 And there's a fan at the bottom 372 00:18:55,601 --> 00:18:57,703 that blows some of the chaff away as well. 373 00:18:59,805 --> 00:19:01,073 - [Narrator] Many farmers harvested corn 374 00:19:01,207 --> 00:19:03,075 for silage or animal feed. 375 00:19:03,542 --> 00:19:06,579 This included the stalk as well as the ear. 376 00:19:09,982 --> 00:19:13,019 Silage was the first corn harvest to see mechanization 377 00:19:13,152 --> 00:19:16,022 in the form of the corn binder in the late 1800s. 378 00:19:18,524 --> 00:19:20,459 On one Nebraska farm, 379 00:19:20,593 --> 00:19:23,129 Ron Lange operates an antique corn binder 380 00:19:23,262 --> 00:19:24,764 to harvest feed for his horses. 381 00:19:26,766 --> 00:19:29,969 - It's an international corn binder. 382 00:19:30,102 --> 00:19:33,572 Just press it and ties it. 383 00:19:33,706 --> 00:19:37,476 This mainly would used to be used more for green corns 384 00:19:37,610 --> 00:19:39,578 and fill silos with it. 385 00:19:39,712 --> 00:19:41,781 They would cut the corn green 386 00:19:41,914 --> 00:19:43,916 and haul it in and fill your silos. 387 00:19:46,686 --> 00:19:48,054 - [Narrator] The binder both cuts 388 00:19:48,187 --> 00:19:49,622 and then automatically ties the stalks into bundles 389 00:19:49,755 --> 00:19:51,023 with twine. 390 00:19:52,825 --> 00:19:54,660 The operator uses a foot clutch 391 00:19:54,794 --> 00:19:57,596 to engage a conveyor that drops the bundles in the field. 392 00:20:00,700 --> 00:20:04,603 Corn binders were usually followed by a crew of laborers 393 00:20:04,737 --> 00:20:07,740 who stood the bundles into larger upright stacks, 394 00:20:07,873 --> 00:20:08,908 known as shocks. 395 00:20:09,675 --> 00:20:11,377 According to Ron, 396 00:20:11,510 --> 00:20:12,578 this traditional shock building technique 397 00:20:12,712 --> 00:20:15,514 prevents mold from growing in the bundles, 398 00:20:15,648 --> 00:20:17,550 which helps keep the feed from rotting. 399 00:20:19,852 --> 00:20:20,753 - Shocking is for your winter feed 400 00:20:20,886 --> 00:20:24,924 and it would mold and stuff on the ground. 401 00:20:25,057 --> 00:20:26,959 And the shocking is for curing, you gotta shock it 402 00:20:27,093 --> 00:20:28,994 so the wind goes through it. 403 00:20:29,795 --> 00:20:31,664 - [Narrator] Up through the Great Depression, 404 00:20:31,797 --> 00:20:35,067 the meticulous hand harvest was still the only way 405 00:20:35,201 --> 00:20:36,435 to pick the ears directly. 406 00:20:39,738 --> 00:20:41,740 The first mechanized corn pickers, 407 00:20:41,874 --> 00:20:43,976 powered by internal combustion engines, 408 00:20:44,110 --> 00:20:45,411 debuted in the late 1930s 409 00:20:45,544 --> 00:20:48,013 and would soon double productivity 410 00:20:48,147 --> 00:20:49,982 to 15 acres in one day. 411 00:20:57,056 --> 00:20:59,925 The pickers selectively harvest only the corn ears, 412 00:21:00,059 --> 00:21:02,027 depositing the stalks back in the field. 413 00:21:03,596 --> 00:21:08,501 Farmer Randy Jensen uses a two row 1960s model, 414 00:21:08,634 --> 00:21:11,537 237 John Deere Picker to harvest 415 00:21:11,670 --> 00:21:13,706 600 acres of corn each year. 416 00:21:16,776 --> 00:21:19,812 The picker uses rollers to snap the ears off the stalks. 417 00:21:21,881 --> 00:21:23,949 The ears travel to a husking vat 418 00:21:24,083 --> 00:21:26,152 where rubber rollers remove the husks. 419 00:21:27,553 --> 00:21:28,554 The clean ears then drop in a wagon. 420 00:21:28,687 --> 00:21:30,556 - When you come to the end, 421 00:21:30,689 --> 00:21:31,524 you'll have a full wagon most of the time, 422 00:21:31,657 --> 00:21:33,993 and you'll have a guy at the other end 423 00:21:34,126 --> 00:21:35,895 and he'll switch wagons with you. 424 00:21:37,663 --> 00:21:39,932 And he'll take it home and run it to an elevator 425 00:21:40,065 --> 00:21:42,835 which elevates it up into an ear corn crib. 426 00:21:42,968 --> 00:21:45,471 And basically, that's all you do. 427 00:21:45,604 --> 00:21:47,106 - [Narrator] While the mechanical picker 428 00:21:47,239 --> 00:21:48,641 has endured for decades, 429 00:21:48,774 --> 00:21:50,776 they couldn't shell, clean, and dry corn 430 00:21:50,910 --> 00:21:52,378 immediately in the field. 431 00:21:52,511 --> 00:21:56,749 By the mid 1950s, there was an answer. 432 00:21:56,882 --> 00:21:58,484 The combine, which had long before mechanized 433 00:21:58,617 --> 00:22:01,487 the harvesting of other grain crops 434 00:22:01,620 --> 00:22:04,824 was now advanced enough to produce clean corn kernels 435 00:22:04,957 --> 00:22:05,758 at a staggering pace. 436 00:22:09,128 --> 00:22:10,496 What began with two row designs 437 00:22:10,629 --> 00:22:15,034 grew to the 12 and even 16 row corn head combines 438 00:22:15,167 --> 00:22:17,069 of the 21st century. 439 00:22:17,203 --> 00:22:19,505 - You're talking about the ability to harvest 4,000 440 00:22:19,638 --> 00:22:22,775 or so bushels an hour, which translates to, you know, 441 00:22:22,908 --> 00:22:26,745 maybe 60 to 70 pounds of grain, clean grain 442 00:22:26,879 --> 00:22:30,115 every second that this machine can harvest. 443 00:22:30,649 --> 00:22:33,819 - We go back to working with a corn binder. 444 00:22:33,953 --> 00:22:37,489 We're talking about working maybe eight acres a day. 445 00:22:37,623 --> 00:22:40,025 And now we're talking about hand picking, 446 00:22:40,159 --> 00:22:43,629 we're talking an acre or so day, 100 bushels. 447 00:22:43,762 --> 00:22:46,498 Today's big farmers with large combines 448 00:22:46,632 --> 00:22:50,002 can do 40,000 bushels in a day with one combine. 449 00:22:51,503 --> 00:22:55,007 - [Narrator] The American corn harvest relies on the size, 450 00:22:55,140 --> 00:22:57,643 speed, and sophistication of one machine. 451 00:23:02,348 --> 00:23:04,717 - [Narrator] Every year in October, there is a fruit 452 00:23:04,850 --> 00:23:08,220 that must first go for a swim before it can be picked. 453 00:23:08,354 --> 00:23:10,222 (upbeat music) 454 00:23:11,857 --> 00:23:15,027 Just days before harvesting, farmers in central Wisconsin 455 00:23:15,160 --> 00:23:17,129 divert water from nearby reservoirs 456 00:23:17,263 --> 00:23:20,733 in order to flood thousands of acres of cranberries 457 00:23:20,866 --> 00:23:22,067 in up to two feet of water. 458 00:23:24,236 --> 00:23:26,171 This is called a wet harvest. 459 00:23:27,940 --> 00:23:30,809 The berries grow on short vines. 460 00:23:31,877 --> 00:23:33,212 When they mature, 461 00:23:33,345 --> 00:23:35,414 the fields are flooded to make harvesting easier. 462 00:23:38,951 --> 00:23:43,088 These water reel harvesters, also called beaters, 463 00:23:43,222 --> 00:23:45,858 will transform the marsh into a sea of red. 464 00:23:45,991 --> 00:23:47,960 - And the first guy that goes in the water 465 00:23:48,093 --> 00:23:49,194 is opening the bed 466 00:23:50,429 --> 00:23:51,730 and then the rest of the guys behind him 467 00:23:51,864 --> 00:23:53,966 just keep following along behind him. 468 00:23:54,099 --> 00:23:55,801 What they're looking for in the water 469 00:23:55,934 --> 00:23:58,070 is what we call a berry line, 470 00:23:58,203 --> 00:24:00,839 where you can see where the fruit's been picked clean 471 00:24:00,973 --> 00:24:02,341 and where the remaining fruit is. 472 00:24:02,474 --> 00:24:03,275 So you try to line up on that. 473 00:24:03,409 --> 00:24:06,211 And the idea is to not miss any fruit 474 00:24:06,345 --> 00:24:08,213 and beat it clean or pick it clean. 475 00:24:09,815 --> 00:24:10,783 - [Narrator] As the beaters move through the vine, 476 00:24:10,916 --> 00:24:13,085 they strip off the berries. 477 00:24:15,054 --> 00:24:17,856 Cranberries contain four air chambers. 478 00:24:17,990 --> 00:24:19,258 When freed from the vines, 479 00:24:19,391 --> 00:24:21,593 their natural buoyancy causes them to float. 480 00:24:22,494 --> 00:24:23,829 - Cranberries are trained, 481 00:24:23,962 --> 00:24:27,032 meaning the vines lay a certain direction. 482 00:24:27,166 --> 00:24:29,201 Good analogy would be like petting a cat the right way 483 00:24:29,335 --> 00:24:30,636 and the wrong way. 484 00:24:30,769 --> 00:24:31,670 You pet it the right way, everything's nice. 485 00:24:31,804 --> 00:24:32,738 You go against the vines or against that cat 486 00:24:32,871 --> 00:24:34,940 and his fur gets all ruffled up 487 00:24:35,074 --> 00:24:36,642 and it's not a very nice thing. 488 00:24:36,775 --> 00:24:37,910 Same thing can happen with cranberries. 489 00:24:38,043 --> 00:24:39,878 If we go against the vines, 490 00:24:40,012 --> 00:24:43,215 we'd rip them outta the ground and it would be a mess. 491 00:24:46,485 --> 00:24:48,320 - [Narrator] Once the three acre bed is beaten, 492 00:24:48,454 --> 00:24:51,223 the workers deploy a cran boom to slowly coax 493 00:24:51,357 --> 00:24:53,392 the flotilla to one end of the marsh. 494 00:24:57,963 --> 00:25:00,699 Here, more than 80,000 pounds of berries 495 00:25:00,833 --> 00:25:02,868 are loaded by elevator and trucked out. 496 00:25:08,073 --> 00:25:09,942 At the Ocean Spray receiving station, 497 00:25:10,075 --> 00:25:12,811 the berries are offloaded into holding tanks. 498 00:25:12,945 --> 00:25:15,948 (upbeat guitar music) 499 00:25:18,417 --> 00:25:20,486 And then conveyed into the packing houses 500 00:25:22,121 --> 00:25:23,922 where they're cleaned and then sized. 501 00:25:26,291 --> 00:25:28,794 These cranberries are destined for processing, 502 00:25:28,927 --> 00:25:31,163 meaning they will end up as juice, sauce, 503 00:25:31,296 --> 00:25:34,533 or even Craisins, the cranberry equivalent of raisins. 504 00:25:35,934 --> 00:25:39,138 But long before cranberry juice and Craisins 505 00:25:39,271 --> 00:25:40,372 dominated the market, 506 00:25:41,874 --> 00:25:44,410 Native Americans understood the power of the fresh berries 507 00:25:45,811 --> 00:25:49,181 using them in medicines, poultices, and dyes. 508 00:25:50,783 --> 00:25:51,784 Dried berries were even pressed together with venison 509 00:25:51,917 --> 00:25:56,455 and fat to produce pemmican, a survival cake 510 00:25:56,588 --> 00:25:58,557 that kept for long periods of time. 511 00:26:02,127 --> 00:26:03,862 The first commercial growers in the 19th century 512 00:26:03,996 --> 00:26:07,866 recruited cheap field laborers, often women and children, 513 00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:12,337 to meticulously hand harvest the wild growing vines. 514 00:26:12,471 --> 00:26:15,207 - When the men, women, and children would show up 515 00:26:15,340 --> 00:26:19,078 on the cranberry marsh, they were given a measure. 516 00:26:19,211 --> 00:26:21,046 Once they had a full measure, 517 00:26:21,180 --> 00:26:23,015 they would go over to the edge of the bed, 518 00:26:23,148 --> 00:26:26,218 dump the measure into the receptacle. 519 00:26:26,351 --> 00:26:28,921 And that picker was given a picking chip. 520 00:26:29,054 --> 00:26:33,058 That picking chip would be used for either cash 521 00:26:33,192 --> 00:26:35,394 or merchandise at the company store. 522 00:26:37,296 --> 00:26:40,365 - [Narrator] In the 1890s, the first cranberry hand rake 523 00:26:40,499 --> 00:26:42,634 replaced the picker's calloused fingers 524 00:26:42,768 --> 00:26:45,370 and quickly became the harvesting method of choice. 525 00:26:46,772 --> 00:26:47,773 Growers eventually discovered that flooding 526 00:26:47,906 --> 00:26:51,777 the cranberry beds made hand ranking much easier. 527 00:26:51,910 --> 00:26:54,680 - This is the hand rake, it's got metal teeth 528 00:26:54,813 --> 00:26:56,181 with slots in it. 529 00:26:56,315 --> 00:27:00,919 As you rake, you go through the vines like that. 530 00:27:01,053 --> 00:27:03,822 The berries are floating on top of the water. 531 00:27:03,956 --> 00:27:05,824 They're attached to the vines, 532 00:27:05,958 --> 00:27:07,926 but you still gotta take 'em off. 533 00:27:08,060 --> 00:27:10,729 And it's a back wrecking job 534 00:27:10,863 --> 00:27:11,997 if you have to do it all day long, 535 00:27:12,130 --> 00:27:14,066 especially if the vines aren't trained. 536 00:27:17,903 --> 00:27:21,673 - [Narrator] In the 1950s, Wisconsinite Leonard Getsinger 537 00:27:21,807 --> 00:27:22,708 designed one of the first 538 00:27:22,841 --> 00:27:23,709 successful mechanical harvesters. 539 00:27:25,811 --> 00:27:28,113 The hand pushed Getsinger picker 540 00:27:28,247 --> 00:27:31,283 uses retractable metal teeth to comb through the vines 541 00:27:31,416 --> 00:27:32,284 and pick berries. 542 00:27:37,055 --> 00:27:38,156 Up until the 1970s, 543 00:27:38,290 --> 00:27:41,860 the majority of all cranberries were sold as fresh fruit 544 00:27:41,994 --> 00:27:43,128 for traditional cooking. 545 00:27:43,929 --> 00:27:50,769 - During the 1970s and 1980s, the juice market exploded 546 00:27:50,903 --> 00:27:55,307 and the demand for cranberry juice far exceeded the demand 547 00:27:55,440 --> 00:27:56,742 for fresh cranberries. 548 00:27:56,875 --> 00:28:00,879 The whole industry shifted from fresh fruit 549 00:28:01,013 --> 00:28:02,314 to processed fruit. 550 00:28:02,447 --> 00:28:04,182 - [Narrator] Starting in the 70s and 80s, 551 00:28:04,316 --> 00:28:07,085 most farmers began wet harvesting with beaters 552 00:28:07,219 --> 00:28:10,489 to bring in a larger, yet less carefully handled crop. 553 00:28:12,958 --> 00:28:16,128 But today, one man feels there is still a better mouse trap 554 00:28:16,261 --> 00:28:19,731 for farmers who raise cranberries for processing. 555 00:28:19,865 --> 00:28:21,967 It's called, The Ruby Slipper. 556 00:28:23,402 --> 00:28:26,939 - It's a machine I invented trying to find a simpler, 557 00:28:27,072 --> 00:28:30,008 faster method to harvest cranberries 558 00:28:30,142 --> 00:28:32,744 that was easier on the fruit, easier on the vines. 559 00:28:34,413 --> 00:28:35,681 This is a lot gentler. 560 00:28:35,814 --> 00:28:37,716 The bar itself is traveling at a slower speed 561 00:28:37,849 --> 00:28:38,917 when it contacts the vine, 562 00:28:39,051 --> 00:28:42,354 but the ground speed of the machine is a lot faster. 563 00:28:45,791 --> 00:28:47,826 - [Narrator] The Ruby Slipper is pulled through the marsh 564 00:28:47,960 --> 00:28:50,862 and requires no moving parts to remove the cranberries. 565 00:28:53,966 --> 00:28:57,035 Regardless of the machine, harvesting cranberries for juice 566 00:28:57,169 --> 00:28:59,805 or Craisins is not a gentle affair. 567 00:29:03,875 --> 00:29:06,778 But there's another harvest more steeped in tradition 568 00:29:06,912 --> 00:29:10,315 that demands a more delicate touch. 569 00:29:10,449 --> 00:29:12,818 Habelman Brothers in Tomah, Wisconsin 570 00:29:12,951 --> 00:29:15,053 is one of the world's largest producers 571 00:29:15,187 --> 00:29:16,488 of fresh cranberries. 572 00:29:18,857 --> 00:29:22,260 This harvester is all about delivering the perfect berry. 573 00:29:24,496 --> 00:29:26,732 Habelman's harvesters utilize stainless steel teeth 574 00:29:26,865 --> 00:29:31,303 to comb the vines, much like the original Getsinger pickers. 575 00:29:32,537 --> 00:29:35,173 But these gentler modern harvesters 576 00:29:35,307 --> 00:29:38,343 use a series of paddles to free the berries from the vines. 577 00:29:39,511 --> 00:29:42,314 - The berries never end up back in the water. 578 00:29:42,447 --> 00:29:45,250 They go right into the boats and then into the trucks. 579 00:29:45,384 --> 00:29:47,119 We can do about 10 acres a day 580 00:29:47,252 --> 00:29:48,920 with the two machines that we're using right now. 581 00:29:52,858 --> 00:29:54,092 - [Narrator] When it's time for packing, 582 00:29:54,226 --> 00:29:56,261 the berries go through a separator line 583 00:29:56,395 --> 00:29:58,864 to remove discolored and poor quality berries. 584 00:29:58,997 --> 00:30:02,234 At the front end is an antique device 585 00:30:02,367 --> 00:30:04,736 that has never been upgraded or redesigned, 586 00:30:04,870 --> 00:30:07,406 the Bailey Separator. 587 00:30:07,539 --> 00:30:11,243 Invented by the H.R. Bailey Company in 1917, 588 00:30:11,376 --> 00:30:13,245 it was conceived with the idea 589 00:30:13,378 --> 00:30:16,715 that only fresh cranberries will bounce. 590 00:30:16,848 --> 00:30:18,750 - So they pass through a series of boards, 591 00:30:18,884 --> 00:30:20,886 good ones jump and land on a finish belt. 592 00:30:21,019 --> 00:30:23,355 The bad ones just kind of filter down the machine. 593 00:30:23,488 --> 00:30:25,190 And a lot of companies have tried to come up 594 00:30:25,324 --> 00:30:28,460 with a better design, but there isn't any out there yet. 595 00:30:30,228 --> 00:30:32,230 - [Narrator] The cranberries that pass Bailey's tests 596 00:30:32,364 --> 00:30:35,233 are then double checked by more modern equipment. 597 00:30:35,367 --> 00:30:38,370 Two different electronic separators use ultraviolet 598 00:30:38,503 --> 00:30:42,140 and fluorescent light to detect inferior color and rot. 599 00:30:46,078 --> 00:30:49,214 After the antique and high tech separators have their go, 600 00:30:49,348 --> 00:30:50,982 the final quality check is human. 601 00:30:52,417 --> 00:30:54,286 Any bad berries that have survived the gauntlet 602 00:30:54,419 --> 00:30:56,088 are weeded out before packaging. 603 00:30:58,390 --> 00:31:01,827 As the demand for healthier food and drink continues to spiral, 604 00:31:01,960 --> 00:31:04,996 a wild assortment of cranberry harvesting machines 605 00:31:05,130 --> 00:31:08,100 will continue to prowl the marshes of central Wisconsin. 606 00:31:08,233 --> 00:31:11,937 But picking cranberries from shallow marshes is a picnic 607 00:31:12,070 --> 00:31:14,673 (western guitar music) 608 00:31:14,806 --> 00:31:16,041 - [Narrator] In the low desert 609 00:31:16,174 --> 00:31:17,476 of Southern California's Coachella Valley, 610 00:31:17,609 --> 00:31:20,545 there's an annual ritual that is perhaps the most dangerous 611 00:31:20,679 --> 00:31:22,614 harvest in America. 612 00:31:27,819 --> 00:31:30,188 This man is a palmero. 613 00:31:32,090 --> 00:31:34,092 His job is to harvest dates from trees 614 00:31:34,226 --> 00:31:37,062 that can grow to heights of more than 80 feet. 615 00:31:37,996 --> 00:31:41,733 Date grower Dennis Jensen speaks to the industry's anxiety 616 00:31:41,867 --> 00:31:43,835 over the ladder harvest. 617 00:31:43,969 --> 00:31:44,970 - It's dangerous work up there. 618 00:31:45,103 --> 00:31:47,873 One slip, and they could end up in a world of hurt. 619 00:31:48,006 --> 00:31:51,076 As much as we try safety wise, 620 00:31:51,209 --> 00:31:53,445 it seems that every other year, 621 00:31:53,578 --> 00:31:56,248 we lose someone to this terrible tragedy. 622 00:31:57,716 --> 00:31:59,751 Some of the other items that are very dangerous 623 00:31:59,885 --> 00:32:01,486 are the spines, 624 00:32:01,620 --> 00:32:03,155 the palm fronds themselves that can pierce your hand 625 00:32:03,288 --> 00:32:06,158 or an eye, or an arm, or a leg, or foot. 626 00:32:06,291 --> 00:32:08,126 And they're located throughout the crown of that tree. 627 00:32:08,260 --> 00:32:09,528 So there's a lot of different dangers 628 00:32:09,661 --> 00:32:10,662 that they have to work with. 629 00:32:13,565 --> 00:32:14,733 - [Narrator] The palmeros in this field 630 00:32:14,866 --> 00:32:18,804 are hand harvesting a premium date, known as the Medjool, 631 00:32:18,937 --> 00:32:20,572 one of several date varieties that have been cultivated 632 00:32:20,705 --> 00:32:23,108 since before recorded time. 633 00:32:27,579 --> 00:32:29,614 Dates are likely the oldest of all harvested fruits. 634 00:32:32,951 --> 00:32:34,853 Nearly 6,000 years ago, 635 00:32:34,986 --> 00:32:37,689 they were cultivated in the region of Mesopotamia 636 00:32:37,823 --> 00:32:38,857 or what is now modern Iraq. 637 00:32:40,992 --> 00:32:43,995 Some traditions trace the fruit to the garden of Eden. 638 00:32:44,129 --> 00:32:47,132 - Even the Bible refers to the land of milk and honey, 639 00:32:47,265 --> 00:32:49,468 and we've been old by Jewish scholars 640 00:32:49,601 --> 00:32:51,837 that the honey it was referring to 641 00:32:51,970 --> 00:32:54,072 was the honey of the date palms. 642 00:32:54,206 --> 00:32:56,007 - [Narrator] Its ability to grow and produce fruit 643 00:32:56,141 --> 00:32:57,843 in such an arid environment 644 00:32:57,976 --> 00:32:59,845 made the date palm a sacred tree. 645 00:33:00,846 --> 00:33:02,547 - Dates keep very well. 646 00:33:02,681 --> 00:33:04,616 And in that hot desert area where they had no refrigeration, 647 00:33:04,749 --> 00:33:07,619 they could keep them for a long time 648 00:33:07,752 --> 00:33:08,820 and early on they'd discovered the ways 649 00:33:08,954 --> 00:33:11,556 to press them together to get rid of air and so forth 650 00:33:11,690 --> 00:33:13,525 so that they would keep. 651 00:33:14,693 --> 00:33:16,962 - [Narrator] After many failed attempts, 652 00:33:17,095 --> 00:33:18,663 date palm offshoots were successfully imported 653 00:33:18,797 --> 00:33:22,634 and planted in the Arizona desert in the year 1900. 654 00:33:24,569 --> 00:33:29,074 The coveted Medjool offshoots came from Morocco in 1927 655 00:33:29,207 --> 00:33:31,877 and were later planted in the Coachella Valley. 656 00:33:33,712 --> 00:33:35,680 Today, California growers of Medjools 657 00:33:35,814 --> 00:33:38,450 and the other major variety, the Deglet Noor, 658 00:33:38,583 --> 00:33:42,754 oversee a thriving industry that annually harvests a crop 659 00:33:42,888 --> 00:33:44,856 worth around $50 million. 660 00:33:47,759 --> 00:33:50,128 And it's not just the fruit that is valuable. 661 00:33:50,262 --> 00:33:51,496 The date palm is considered so beautiful 662 00:33:51,630 --> 00:33:55,000 that as many as 15,000 trees are harvested 663 00:33:55,133 --> 00:33:57,903 and sold each year to real estate developers. 664 00:33:58,670 --> 00:34:01,840 The times are changing for the skilled palmeros. 665 00:34:03,241 --> 00:34:06,111 Most date growers are relying less on the ladder harvest 666 00:34:06,244 --> 00:34:08,313 and more on a mechanical harvesting aid. 667 00:34:09,514 --> 00:34:10,148 The Canasta. 668 00:34:13,818 --> 00:34:16,521 Mounted on a nine ton lift, the platform opens and closes 669 00:34:16,655 --> 00:34:18,924 around the date palm's trunk. 670 00:34:22,060 --> 00:34:24,996 Even as mechanization makes the work safer and easier, 671 00:34:25,130 --> 00:34:27,566 the job still requires a trained palmero 672 00:34:27,699 --> 00:34:30,001 to distinguish dates that are ripe for picking. 673 00:34:30,669 --> 00:34:32,604 - Normally, what they're gonna do 674 00:34:32,737 --> 00:34:34,906 is they'll be looking for the ripest ones 675 00:34:35,040 --> 00:34:36,675 and they're pretty easy to pull off. 676 00:34:36,808 --> 00:34:37,976 And sometimes you can just shake them 677 00:34:38,109 --> 00:34:39,978 and they'll actually fall off of the bunches, 678 00:34:40,111 --> 00:34:40,779 but they'll be pulling off the ripe ones, 679 00:34:40,912 --> 00:34:42,814 which are the darker color ones. 680 00:34:42,948 --> 00:34:44,549 There's yellow ones on here, which are not ripe yet. 681 00:34:44,683 --> 00:34:46,851 It'll take another, 682 00:34:46,985 --> 00:34:49,788 probably two to three weeks before they will ripen up. 683 00:34:51,256 --> 00:34:52,624 - [Narrator] Prior to harvesting, 684 00:34:52,757 --> 00:34:54,693 the palmeros wrap each and every growing date bunch 685 00:34:54,826 --> 00:34:56,127 in a nylon bag. 686 00:34:57,162 --> 00:35:00,498 - Our date bags are used to keep moisture away 687 00:35:00,632 --> 00:35:03,568 from the dates should we have a sudden thunderstorm. 688 00:35:03,702 --> 00:35:05,570 And the rain, 689 00:35:05,704 --> 00:35:07,739 the moisture causes a lot of decay for the dates. 690 00:35:07,872 --> 00:35:11,910 Additional purposes of these bags are to keep insects away 691 00:35:12,043 --> 00:35:15,146 and to keep birds from eating the dates. 692 00:35:15,280 --> 00:35:17,983 (upbeat rock music) 693 00:35:18,116 --> 00:35:20,185 - [Narrator] To prevent damage to the delicate fruit, 694 00:35:20,318 --> 00:35:22,721 harvesters lower small baskets to the ground 695 00:35:22,854 --> 00:35:24,589 where they're hand sorted for ripeness. 696 00:35:27,592 --> 00:35:29,494 After a short journey to Dennis Jensen's 697 00:35:29,628 --> 00:35:32,931 Seaview packing house, the dates are cooled. 698 00:35:33,665 --> 00:35:35,967 Then they're carefully washed and dried 699 00:35:36,101 --> 00:35:37,936 before they're hand sorted for packing. 700 00:35:41,940 --> 00:35:44,609 One of five quality categories are assigned 701 00:35:44,743 --> 00:35:46,544 before the dates are shipped to points around the world. 702 00:35:55,420 --> 00:35:57,288 - [Narrator] Welcome back to Harvesting Plus. 703 00:35:58,656 --> 00:36:00,959 Today, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania 704 00:36:01,092 --> 00:36:03,895 is known as the mushroom capital of the world 705 00:36:04,029 --> 00:36:05,397 and not long ago, 706 00:36:05,530 --> 00:36:08,033 the world's largest mushroom grower was Creekside Mushrooms 707 00:36:08,166 --> 00:36:09,300 located near Pittsburgh. 708 00:36:10,402 --> 00:36:13,405 Creekside owners have since moved on to other ventures, 709 00:36:13,538 --> 00:36:17,108 but for many years, its 800 acres of limestone tunnels, 710 00:36:17,242 --> 00:36:18,843 burrowed beneath trees and pasture lands 711 00:36:18,977 --> 00:36:21,312 was a fungus farmer's fantasy. 712 00:36:21,913 --> 00:36:24,416 - The neat thing about growing mushrooms 713 00:36:24,549 --> 00:36:27,786 at this particular facility is that the temperature 714 00:36:27,919 --> 00:36:29,954 is pretty much consistent all year round. 715 00:36:30,088 --> 00:36:33,291 And we maintain about a 62 degree temperature 716 00:36:33,425 --> 00:36:36,027 all year round and about a 95% humidity, 717 00:36:36,161 --> 00:36:40,331 which allows mushrooms to just recycle themselves 718 00:36:40,465 --> 00:36:42,200 pretty much every 24 hours. 719 00:36:44,903 --> 00:36:46,137 - [Narrator] Here, the fungus of choice 720 00:36:46,271 --> 00:36:48,273 is the Sylvan White Agaricus, 721 00:36:48,406 --> 00:36:50,375 the ever popular white button mushroom. 722 00:36:53,244 --> 00:36:54,813 A small army of harvesters 723 00:36:54,946 --> 00:36:56,881 speeds from one cave to the next. 724 00:36:59,017 --> 00:37:02,153 Each worker aiming to pick up a minimum 725 00:37:02,287 --> 00:37:04,022 of 55 pounds an hour. 726 00:37:07,158 --> 00:37:08,460 Mushrooms are grown in 727 00:37:08,593 --> 00:37:10,895 and harvested from large wooden trays. 728 00:37:11,029 --> 00:37:15,033 Each tray is harvested in passes or breaks. 729 00:37:16,434 --> 00:37:18,870 The first break yields the large and medium mushrooms. 730 00:37:20,271 --> 00:37:23,408 Removing the larger fungi allows more room 731 00:37:23,541 --> 00:37:26,277 for the smaller mushrooms to grow and develop. 732 00:37:26,411 --> 00:37:29,981 - I'm picking the mushrooms that are ready, 733 00:37:30,115 --> 00:37:31,883 at the prime time for harvest. 734 00:37:32,016 --> 00:37:36,287 And that depends upon the stem length, 735 00:37:36,421 --> 00:37:40,825 the shape of the cap, whether it's domed or oval. 736 00:37:40,959 --> 00:37:43,194 If you notice the only smalls that I take 737 00:37:43,328 --> 00:37:46,364 are the ones that come off basically by accident, 738 00:37:47,499 --> 00:37:48,833 they're left on there for tomorrow. 739 00:37:48,967 --> 00:37:51,803 They'll be mushrooms that will be harvested again tomorrow. 740 00:37:52,971 --> 00:37:54,372 - [Narrator] Each tray ultimately yields 741 00:37:54,506 --> 00:37:58,376 approximately 250 pounds of organic mushrooms, 742 00:37:58,510 --> 00:38:00,478 but not every mushroom is perfect. 743 00:38:00,612 --> 00:38:01,880 - [George] This mushroom in particular 744 00:38:02,013 --> 00:38:03,214 has a blemish on it. 745 00:38:04,349 --> 00:38:06,851 That is what we consider a number two. 746 00:38:06,985 --> 00:38:10,255 It would not look as nice when it hits the supermarket. 747 00:38:13,158 --> 00:38:14,926 - [Narrator] The popular White Agaricus mushroom 748 00:38:15,059 --> 00:38:18,163 was first domesticated in the cellars and sewers 749 00:38:18,296 --> 00:38:20,532 of 19th century France. 750 00:38:20,665 --> 00:38:21,833 The process of producing the spawn 751 00:38:21,966 --> 00:38:25,937 or seed was the key to growing the fungus commercially. 752 00:38:28,540 --> 00:38:31,009 After the French perfected a strain of spawn, 753 00:38:31,142 --> 00:38:32,877 it was soon exported to England 754 00:38:33,011 --> 00:38:35,547 and ultimately to the United States. 755 00:38:37,015 --> 00:38:38,917 The mushroom business took off in 1904 756 00:38:39,083 --> 00:38:42,153 when the United States Department of Agriculture 757 00:38:42,287 --> 00:38:44,822 perfected a domestically bred spawn. 758 00:38:44,956 --> 00:38:47,392 One of the very same strains that are used today. 759 00:38:49,594 --> 00:38:51,329 Even with the healthy spawn, 760 00:38:51,462 --> 00:38:54,332 profitability growing mushrooms in vast numbers 761 00:38:54,465 --> 00:38:55,900 is a very demanding craft. 762 00:38:56,000 --> 00:39:01,773 The process begins with piles of hay, straw, and manure. 763 00:39:01,906 --> 00:39:04,475 This compost is turned, adding water and fresh air 764 00:39:04,609 --> 00:39:06,077 to speed up decomposition. 765 00:39:10,448 --> 00:39:12,417 The compost is then pasteurized 766 00:39:12,550 --> 00:39:14,118 in a fresh air tunnel system. 767 00:39:14,252 --> 00:39:16,254 - It kills all the other microorganisms 768 00:39:16,387 --> 00:39:20,325 that are in the compost so that when we do plant the spawn 769 00:39:20,458 --> 00:39:23,228 or the mushroom seeds into the tray, it gives a nice, 770 00:39:23,361 --> 00:39:28,967 clean medium for the spawn to take hold inside the compost. 771 00:39:31,636 --> 00:39:32,870 - [Narrator] Each tray is filled with compost 772 00:39:33,004 --> 00:39:35,573 and the spawn is then added. 773 00:39:35,707 --> 00:39:38,076 The trays are transported deep within the pitch dark 774 00:39:38,209 --> 00:39:41,045 limestone caves to begin coaxing the root structure, 775 00:39:41,179 --> 00:39:43,982 or mycelia, to the surface. 776 00:39:49,354 --> 00:39:51,222 This tray of organic White Agaricus 777 00:39:51,356 --> 00:39:52,991 will begin harvesting around day 15. 778 00:39:57,562 --> 00:40:00,798 Its many mushrooms then travel to a packing facility 779 00:40:00,932 --> 00:40:01,933 where they're weighed, packaged, 780 00:40:02,066 --> 00:40:04,869 or sometimes sliced, before they're cooled 781 00:40:05,003 --> 00:40:07,272 and quickly shipped to market. 782 00:40:08,172 --> 00:40:11,175 - We don't get a whole lot of lead time 783 00:40:11,309 --> 00:40:12,944 nor do we want a whole lot of lead time 784 00:40:13,077 --> 00:40:14,112 because what we produce today, 785 00:40:14,245 --> 00:40:17,515 we wanna make sure we ship within the next 24 hours. 786 00:40:19,951 --> 00:40:20,952 - [Narrator] While the mushroom harvest may seem stable, 787 00:40:21,085 --> 00:40:23,955 its future is not. 788 00:40:24,088 --> 00:40:24,956 - People that get outta high school today, 789 00:40:25,089 --> 00:40:27,258 look for other opportunities. 790 00:40:27,392 --> 00:40:30,595 So it gets harder and harder to find labor. 791 00:40:31,195 --> 00:40:34,232 - [Narrator] Today, mushroom growers have only 75% 792 00:40:34,365 --> 00:40:37,602 of the workforce needed to harvest at full capacity. 793 00:40:39,170 --> 00:40:42,140 Mushrooms are not the only crop impacted by a lack of labor. 794 00:40:43,107 --> 00:40:44,942 The trend is affecting harvests across the nation. 795 00:40:47,045 --> 00:40:50,214 - There's certainly less labor available. 796 00:40:50,348 --> 00:40:51,482 It began several years ago, 797 00:40:51,616 --> 00:40:55,820 but the increased pressure to reduce illegal immigration 798 00:40:55,954 --> 00:40:57,889 across the Southern United States border 799 00:40:58,022 --> 00:40:59,924 has influenced the amount of laborers 800 00:41:00,058 --> 00:41:00,958 that are available for harvest. 801 00:41:04,562 --> 00:41:07,165 - [Narrator] As workers become scarcer, 802 00:41:07,298 --> 00:41:09,334 mechanization will play a larger, 803 00:41:09,467 --> 00:41:12,870 but probably still restricted role, in the harvest. 804 00:41:13,004 --> 00:41:15,873 - Labor is the most important factor in this business. 805 00:41:16,007 --> 00:41:18,910 When you look at the fragility or the nature of the fruit, 806 00:41:19,043 --> 00:41:21,779 this is not something that is conducive 807 00:41:21,913 --> 00:41:24,015 to mechanical harvesting. 808 00:41:25,516 --> 00:41:27,218 We rely very heavily on a labor force 809 00:41:27,352 --> 00:41:29,921 that's skilled to discern fruit quality on the tree. 810 00:41:30,054 --> 00:41:33,257 And there's really no other way to go about doing that. 811 00:41:35,626 --> 00:41:37,161 - [Narrator] Truly our machines will become 812 00:41:37,295 --> 00:41:39,297 more sophisticated and sensitive 813 00:41:40,264 --> 00:41:41,833 and a declining labor force 814 00:41:41,966 --> 00:41:42,934 will spur that mechanical innovation. 815 00:41:45,203 --> 00:41:46,904 But only time will tell if the machine 816 00:41:47,038 --> 00:41:50,475 will ever match the human hand's ability 817 00:41:50,608 --> 00:41:53,611 to delicately pluck an unblemished piece of fruit.