News Releases February 05, 2021
John Deere 5 Series perfects leafy green harvest
Kevan Dobra, Loose Leaf Lettuce Company, is one of Western Australia’s largest salad producers.
Crestmead, Queensland (05 February, 2021) – PRODUCING 20,000 kg of fresh, gourmet vegetables each week, all of which must be perfectly sized to fit a salad fork, means harvest is a delicate art for Western Australia's The Loose Leaf Lettuce Company.
Regarded as one of the state's largest salad producers, the business operates across two sandy soil properties spanning 60 ha (150 ac) in Gingin, where it grows cos lettuce, baby spinach, baby leaf red and green lettuce, rocket, mizuna, tatsoi and French kale.
The Dobra family, including Maureen, Barry and son Kevan, has owned the operation for more than 33 years, but has focused solely on lettuce mixes for the last 20, to align with growing consumer demand for fresh-cut baby leaf spinach and salad mixes.
"We process all our own salad mixes here at our custom-built packing facility," Kevan said.
"We have exported and sold out of state in the past but are now focusing purely on the reliable local market here in Western Australia. To meet our demands, we need efficiency and reliability across all our operations."
The farm's fast-paced production sequences and need for dependable equipment are what drew the Dobra family to rely on a John Deere line up of machinery.
For harvest, which requires guaranteed precision, given the dainty nature of the crop, Kevan turned to John Deere 5 Series Tractors, including a 5083E, with another 5083E and a 5093E set to arrive on farm soon.
Tricky harvest
The mixed salad industry has a relentless nature, with rapid crop cycles that roll across the year.
Mizuna (commonly known as Japanese mustard greens) is harvested 14 days after planting and spinach about 24 days, while cos lettuce is one of the longer varieties being cut every 40 days.
The ideal cut for greens is one which fits leaves neatly on a fork - a tricky fraction to achieve using heavy machinery. Harvest occurs around 6.30am, when fresh dew allows for prime cutting conditions.
The John Deere 5 Series 5083E, which is equipped with a four-cylinder John Deere PowerTech™ 61.1 kW engine has the power to get through long days, while its refined hydraulic system ensures the precision needed for exacting harvest requirements.
"At harvest the tractors are working roughly between 8 and 12 hours a day for five days a week, and that's why reliability is the key for us when it comes to machinery," Kevan said.
The Loose Leaf Lettuce Company's custom-built harvesting implement uses the 5083E's centre hydraulic systems, which provides up to 60.2 L of flow per minute, to control the height of the cut on a plant's stem.
"We have a large seasonal workforce, so machinery that has ease of use is also important to us," Kevan said.
"With the 5 Series, we can train backpackers to work as operators during harvest quite quickly, which makes them a great machine for our business."
Once harvested, the produce is processed at the packhouse where the bulk of The Loose Lettuce Leaf Company's 70 staff are operational.
The leafy greens are sorted, washed, spin dried and packed into bags ranging from 30 g to 500 g. From there, the fresh produce is distributed across Western Australia.
Future focused
Over the years, the business has not only invested in a reliable fleet of equipment, but has also prioritised efficient energy systems.
As Gingin has a sporadic 600 mm annual rainfall, the main property is fully irrigated with fixed-overhead, pivot and fixed-ground watering systems that are powered with 200 kw solar panels housed on the packhouse shed. Despite this risk mitigation, the climate is still the toughest challenge the business faces.
"Just recently we received 80 mm within two weeks, it was too much rain for this time of year," Kevan said.
"Going into the summer season, the rain slowed and shortened our production cycle. We are constantly dealing with the elements, so we have learned to make the most of good conditions when we have them."
Regardless of this, Kevan said there is no better feeling than walking into a grocery store and seeing The Loose Leaf Lettuce Company packs presented on a shelf or eating at a restaurant and knowing the salad originated from his farm.
"It makes all the hard work feel very worthwhile," he said.
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Kevan Dobra says harvest is a delicate operation as each leaf must fit perfectly on a salad fork.
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Given the dainty nature of the crop, Loose Leaf Lettuce Company chose John Deere 5 Series Tractors because of their ability to harvest with precision.
About Deere & Company:
Deere & Company (NYSE: DE) is a world leader in providing advanced products and services and is committed to the success of customers whose work is linked to the land - those who cultivate, harvest, transform, enrich and build upon the land to meet the world's dramatically increasing need for food, fuel, shelter and infrastructure. Since 1837, John Deere has delivered innovative products of superior quality built on a tradition of integrity. For more information, visit John Deere at its worldwide website at JohnDeere.com or in Australia at JohnDeere.com.au.
Media Contacts:
Stacey Wordsworth
0438 394 371
stacey.wordsworth@bluehillpr.com.au
Hannah Hardy
0421 196 004
hannah.hardy@bluehillpr.com.au
