Broccoli Production
Broccoli
is a vegetable crop that lends itself well to smallscale
and part-time farming operations. Initial investment is
relatively low, and many field operations, such as land
preparation, planting, and harvesting, can be custom hired.
Equipment needs on a small-acreage farm are not very great,
and most of the equipment can be used for other purposes.
“Broccoli” can mean different things to different people.
When most people think of broccoli, they are thinking of
sprouting broccoli (often referred to as “Italian” or
“Calabrese” broccoli). “Heading” broccoli is not a broccoli
at all—it is a late season or overwintering cauliflower.
Another broccoli, broccoli rabe, does not produce a head and is used as a greens crop. This publication will cover the production and marketing of sprouting broccoli. Native to the Mediterranean region, broccoli was cultivated in Italy in ancient Roman times and was introduced into England about 1720.
Unlike cauliflower, broccoli is a fairly new crop to American
consumers. Broccoli was first grown commercially in California, and the
first icepacked crop was shipped east in 1924. However, broccoli did not
become a crop of any significance in the United States until after World War
II.
The United States is the world’s largest producer of broccoli. Most of the
broccoli harvested in the U.S. is sold as fresh produce. In 1998, the U.S.
produced 133,000 acres of broccoli with a value of $554 million. (USDA
Statistical Services bases value of production on
total acres harvested The leading broccoli-producing
states are California (90 percent of the crop),
Arizona, Texas, and Oregon.
Broccoli also is grown on a large scale in Italy, northern Europe, and the Far East. In recent years, Pennsylvania produced 1,200 acres, valued at $5 million.
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