The most significant pest affecting Cabbage, Cauliflower, Broccoli and other members of the Brassica family in Spring and Summer is caterpillars that munch away the leaves and that, if unchecked, can make plants completely unproductive. Margaret W is an entomologist and Marg M is a food-gardener with decades of food-gardening experience. This blog post documents their advice on the subject, with further info added by me.