Growing for Wholesale: Vegetable Grading/Sizing Templates
Robert Hadad, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Cornell Vegetable Program

To further assist farmers looking to sell into wholesale markets, the Cornell Vegetable Program has put together some helpful tools. The tools provided here consist of a color photo guide highlighting the grades of some of the most common vegetables grown for wholesale market in WNY.
To aid in the visualization of the grading sizes, the crop templates provided below are scaled to size (8.5 x 11 paper). They can be printed and used to create sizing templates to be used by workers on the wash and pack lines.
The accompanying PowerPoint PDF found below, Making the Grade: Grading and Packing Fresh Produce, will give growers an overview of what buyers are looking for and why. Selling wholesale isn't for every grower and having the information to make these important decisions is crucial.
For more information within the Cornell Vegetable Program region of WNY, contact Robert Hadad.
Other resources are United States Standards and Grades, Purdue Agriculture - Illustrated Guides to Grading Vegetables, and UC Davis Produce Quality Rating Scales and Color Charts - Postharvest Technology Center.
Bell Pepper: U.S. Fancy (pdf; 494KB)
Bell Pepper: U.S. No. 1 (pdf; 588KB)
Bell Pepper: U.S. No. 2 (pdf; 585KB)
Broccoli (pdf; 577KB)
Brussels Sprouts (pdf; 479KB)
Cauliflower (pdf; 569KB)
Cucumber: U.S. Fancy (pdf; 518KB)
Cucumber: U.S. Large (pdf; 517KB)
Cucumber: Slicers (pdf; 586KB)
Eggplant (pdf; 559KB)
Potatoes (pdf; 512KB)
Tomaotes (pdf; 481KB)
Zucchini and Summer Squash (pdf; 719KB)
Set of All Vegetable Sizing Templates (pdf; 3996KB)
- Download this file if you wish to have 1 file containing all 13 templates
Making the Grade: Grading and Packing Fresh Produce (PPT) (pdf; 1016KB)

Upcoming Events
Orleans Regional Winter Vegetable Meeting
February 9, 2026
Albion, NY
Topics include: Breeding and evaluating tomatoes to control disease and improve yield, jar testing and ensuring spray water quality, breaking down organic matter, FSMA updates and Q&A with Ag & Markets, and industry updates. Includes hands-on learning, coffee break, and sponsor booths.
DEC credits available: 1.0 in CORE plus 0.5 in 1a, 10 or 23
African Eggplant Participatory Breeding Kick-Off
March 5, 2026
Join us to learn about the Cornell African Eggplant Research Project and learn how you can participate! African eggplant, also known as Bitterball, Garden Egg, Kittley and other names, is an important crop for many members of our community with heritage from regions such as sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and Brazil. Since 2024, the Cornell African Eggplant Research Project has been collaborating with growers and community partners across New York to develop high-quality varieties adapted to the Northeast U.S. In this meeting, we will share information about growing and preparing African eggplant, highlight our research to date, and invite partners to collaborate with us in our 2026 participatory breeding and variety selection efforts.
COST: FREE! You must pre-register to receive the Zoom link.
Managing the Invasive Swede Midge Webinar
March 6, 2026
Swede midge is an invasive fly that causes serious economic losses to brassica crops. Due to its small size and hidden feeding habits, swede midge is often called an "invisible pest" and damage may be misdiagnosed. In this webinar, we will review the swede midge life cycle and crop damage symptoms, current management recommendations, new research findings, and highlights from on-farm case studies with a focus on organic management.
1.75 DEC pesticide recertification credits in categories 1a, 10, and 23.