Are you intrigued by machines?
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (326602)
Rockingham, Australia
April 29, 2024 9:06pm CST
I love watched automated machines work whether it’s newspapers churning off the presses or machines shaking apples from trees.
Vince called me to watch a clip of farm machinery harvesting various vegetables. I know these are replacing dozens of workers but I can’t do anything about it so I remain intrigued by mechanisation.
One machine was harvesting cabbages. Scoops on an endless chain affair scooped up each cabbage. I guess they’re planted at exact spacings or the scoops would cut into the cabbages. Then the cabbages went through rollers which removed all the outer leaves.
Another machine dug up a width of carrots just like it was a carpet, hundreds at a time. Oranges were shaken into an upturned umbrella affair. Radishes were dug up, went through the innards of a machine and came out tied in bundles! Fascinating stuff.
Photo is mine of butternut pumpkins (squash) that I grew. They have a machine for harvesting them too.
20 people like this
21 responses
@Beestring (13471)
• Hong Kong
30 Apr
Automation does help to improve productivity a lot.
4 people like this
@annierose (19477)
• Philippines
30 Apr
It sounds like you have a genuine fascination with the efficiency and precision of automated machines. Do you have any favorite machines or types of mechanized processes that you find particularly intriguing?
3 people like this
@annierose (19477)
• Philippines
1 May
@JudyEv Watching the printing of newspapers or the operations of machines can be quite fascinating. I also love to do it. 
1 person likes this
@ptrikha_2 (45612)
• India
5 May
One theory goes that people freed from manual labour of such harvesting can do "higher end" work.
Yet one cannot say whether that holds true or not.
Butternut Pumpkins look different from thd standard pumpkins that we get.
1 person likes this
@ptrikha_2 (45612)
• India
6 May
@JudyEv
May be you can bring out a discussion on all those Butternuts ?
Just as a thought!
1 person likes this
@kaylachan (58844)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
30 Apr
It's offical, we've turned into a push-button soiciety. It's amaing what we come up with to make our lives easier.
3 people like this
@Juliaacv (48605)
• Canada
1 May
It is fascinating to see the machines harvest the produce grown these days, especially when you consider that a couple of generations ago, it was all harvested by hand.
Your squash look delicious, those are my favorite kind, I love to freeze them when they are in season to have some the rest of the year.
1 person likes this
@Juliaacv (48605)
• Canada
1 May
@JudyEv Here they do not keep because we have to harvest them as soon as they ripen because it is getting to that time of the year when we can expect night time frosts, and that ruins them. If you bring them inside they will rot quickly due to the warmth, unless you have a cold storage area.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (74074)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
30 Apr
That does sound fascinating it is amazing what technology can do,
1 person likes this
@Fleura (29265)
• United Kingdom
30 Apr
Sounds fascinating, can you share a link to the video clip? We would like to watch.
Of course I grew up watching combine harvesters and I've worked with machines to harvest potatoes and courgettes but they were not so sophisticated. I was intrigued by videos of machine harvesting nuts. It's quite a challenge designing these things because of course living things are not uniform!
You might enjoy some of the videos by TrueFoodTV on YouTube - there's a series of 'How does it grow' about various crops such as tomatoes, lemons, pecans etc. We have enjoyed those!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326602)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Apr
Sorry. Vince called me to watch the clip. I know it was on FB but It's gone now. I have a link to the cabbage-harvesting machine which was part of the whole. Amazing that it doesn't get slightly out of sync and start cutting the cabbages in half. 
Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.
1 person likes this
@sathviksouvik (18093)
•
2 May
I still fill human created agricultural products are better
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326602)
• Rockingham, Australia
4 May
I'm inclined to agree. I hate seeing so many jobs disappear.
@JimmyDeen (51)
•
2 May
I'm intrigued in deed. The precision of the machines. But does this keep inflation down. Hope we don't loose good old fashion survival skills from too much reliance on machines.
1 person likes this
@Fleura (29265)
• United Kingdom
30 Apr
As for putting people out of work - the problem we have is that no-one wants to do those jobs anyway. Farmers are reliant on migrant workers. Of course this has happened for generations because of the seasonal nature of the work - families used to travel around the country to harvest fruit in one place then potatoes in another and then hops... But in the last 50 years or so fewer and fewer British people are willing to do that and we came to rely on workers from poorer countries, then after Brexit a major source of workers dried up.
Combine harvesters are ubiquitous now and no-one laments the lack of work for men wanting to harvest the corn with scythes - because there aren't any people wanting that work!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326602)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Apr
That's true too. Years ago, it was the Italians and other migrant workers willing to do these menial tasks, then it was the Vietnamese and other Asians so I do hear what you're saying. We still employ a lot of people on the smaller properties.
1 person likes this
@JESSY3236 (19058)
• United States
30 Apr
Yeah I am too. Last year I had went over to my great-aunt's house to ask her something and she and her husband was watching a guy harvesting hay. It was so cool to watch it.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (158388)
• United States
30 Apr
Modern technology is fascinating. Love your squash. Have a good day.
1 person likes this
